Are hyenas as crazy as they sound?

Hyenas have a bad reputation. The Lion King painted them as half-insane lackeys, while Dungeons and Dragons featured brutish “Gnolls” who worshipped a demon god. Is their reputation deserved? Or can these african predators give even wolves a run for their money, when it comes to pack organization and intelligence? Find out, as Tachyon Feathertail interviews Yurodivy — the site’s resident animal expert!

Yurodivy: It’s unfortunate that Gnolls are one of the only examples of anthropomorphic hyenas I can think of, because aside from superficial physical resemblances and having a matriarchal society among some groups of Gnolls, they’re really not that much like hyenas.

Feathertail: What are they like? ^.^

Yurodivy: Evil slavering savages who kill things and eat corpses and worship demon gods. Oh, and they’re stupid savages. They infight constantly, and have no real social structure outside of individual clans if I recall … either way, it’s not really a flattering portrayal.

Feathertail: Oh, but everyone knows anthro hyenas are savages! Just like werewolves and other animal people! ^.^

Yurodivy: Hey, at least werebears got a sympathetic treatment in WoD and D&D.

Feathertail: Remember the house-ruled Gnolls we were making for that alternate D&D campaign world? What were they like?

Yurodivy: Ahh yes. The alternate universe Gnolls were second-class citizens at best, subjugated by Gnomes. Their Intelligence penalty was taken out because it’s extremely inappropriate for hyenas, which are incredibly intelligent animals. They weren’t brutish so much as the equivalent of the lower class during the Industrial Revolution — no less bright than other people, just oppressed and uneducated. They were perceived as being dumb savages, though.

Feathertail: Of course! Because everyone knows that’s what anthro hyenas are like. ^.^

Yurodivy: Recent research shows them to be extremely smart (moreso than most mammals) and highly social, however. ^^; I still have no idea where the perception of them being stupid came from.

Feathertail: Maybe it’s that laugh of theirs. It doesn’t sound sane, does it?

Yurodivy: The fact it’s unsettling is what makes it interesting, though. ^_^ Interestingly enough, hyenas don’t actually laugh when they’re happy, per se. Rather, it’s a vocalization used when waiting for their turn at a carcass, or when in an excited state. And even then, I believe only spotted hyenas laugh.

Feathertail: What do other hyenas do, then? Giggle?

Yurodivy: They don’t use near the range of vocalization spotted hyenas do, I believe.

(For the curious, other hyena species include the Striped Hyena, Brown Hyena, and Aardwolf.)

Feathertail: I was going to ask about that. ^.^ So they communicate between each other a lot, then?

Yurodivy: Well, it might be a misnomer to say other species of hyena don’t communicate … Aardwolfs are primarily solitary, so they don’t need vocalizations quite as much. And although the other species are social animals, they aren’t prolific hunters like spotted hyenas are, which negates the need for calls used to coordinate hunting tactics. They still use a wide range of body language, but their vocalizations aren’t quite as rich as those of the spotted hyenas.

Feathertail: So spotted hyenas are what most people think of when they think "hyena," then, and the other animals can be thought of by the layperson as "hyena-like?"

Yurodivy: Actually, someone who looks at an aardwolf would probably think "weird fox/dog creature" and not "hyena." They are, admittedly, a lot more appealing in terms of appearance than other hyenas are. I think Spotted Hyenas are cute, but I also think possums are cute, so it might be best to take my opinions with a grain of salt.

Feathertail: Heh. ^.^ Let’s talk more about spotted hyenas, then. They seem to have a very complex society!

Yurodivy: They definitely do! The first thing most people would notice about spotted hyena society is that they’re matriarchal — or in other words, female hyenas are dominant. This is unusual among animals, to say the least. The only other social animals I know for a fact are matriarchal are some species of lemurs.

Yurodivy: Hyenas live in a very tight-knit pack society, similar to wolves. And like wolves, there is usually a strict hierarchy among members. Evidence shows they’re able to recognize individual hyenas and connect that to the other hyena’s personality traits, and any family relationship they might have to them. Which, again, is a fairly advanced trait in the animal kingdom.

Feathertail: So they recognize each other, and treat each other differently based on the other hyena’s personality?

Yurodivy: Yes, in short.

Feathertail: I already know how wolf society works, in general. With alphas getting all the privileges, pack members ritually challenging each other, and omegas getting picked on by everyone. How does hyena society differ from theirs?

Yurodivy: Aside from the matriarchal elements? As I mentioned, they’re more tight-knit. Hyena mothers will nurture cubs from different litters, or at least tolerate the cubs of a different set of parents in their vicinity. And while the concept of a "lone wolf" is familiar, lone hyenas are extremely rare. Hyena clans are usually bigger than wolf packs, as well.

Feathertail: So it sounds like they get along with each other a lot better than wolves do, then. Would you consider them "nicer," or at least more gregarious?

Yurodivy: Gregarious, perhaps — hyena siblings will still fight viciously amongst each other, sometimes even in the womb.

Feathertail: How do they curb these aggressive tendencies enough to build larger societies than wolves do?

Yurodivy: Well, considering it’s usually just siblings who fight amongst each other … seriously enough to cause injuries, anyway. This is not counting dominance fights, which are less common than most people would assume since dominance is usually transferred down family lines — the daughters of a hyena matriarch already have a very high ranking in hyena society.

Feathertail: Very interesting! So compared with wolves hyenas tend to be better organized, and to get along with each other with less infighting?

Yurodivy: Let me put it this way … wolves fight more, but probably have few fatal fights, while hyenas don’t fight as much but when they do it tends to be more violent. Make of that what you will.

Feathertail: Again using wolves as a point of reference, what’re these African canids like physically? How do they differ from the wolves of North America and Europe?

Yurodivy: Technically hyenas are more closely related to big cats than wolves. ^^; As for physical differences, they do have much better eyesight, and a frighteningly powerful grip with their jaws.

Feathertail: Interesting. ^.^ Are there any ways in which they are weaker?

Yurodivy: I believe their sense of smell is not as acute, which I imagine would make them weaker trackers.

The Upshot

Feathertail: It looks like hyena stereotypes are wildly inaccurate. So why would someone choose a hyena for his or her fursona, then, and not some other animal?

Yurodivy: I see hyenas as a representation of female strength because of their matriarchal society. And due to their negative portrayals in … well, most everything, they could also represent a united stand against oppression, or just a general feeling of being misunderstood. Of course, I tend to go for a more complex and symbolic interpretation. I’m sure a lot of people just think they look cool or cute.

Feathertail: Nothing wrong with that, I’m sure. That’s how I was first drawn to my fursona. ^.^ But if they learn something about the actual animal along the way, then so much the better!

Yurodivy: Of course. ^_^

And that concludes our interview! If you’d like to learn more about hyenas, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyena. Also, a positive portrayal of hyenas is given in Ursula Vernon’s webcomic, Digger. Thank you for reading!