The black and white secret of brown hyenas: why does a scavenger paint its territory with different colors? (5 photos)

Everyone knows about hyenas. But if you dig deeper, it turns out that knowledge about them is amazingly superficial. Most people will only say that hyenas are dog-like cats that gather in matriarchal packs and are not averse to snacking on carrion. But this is more or less true for spotted hyenas. But they have as many as 3 types of relatives!





This punk in the center of the photo is our hero.

But let's start not with them, but with a brief educational program, which should be in every article about hyenas. Remember: they are not cats! Yes, predators are part of the felida subfamily, but it also includes mongooses, meerkats, ferret-like civets and binturong raccoon bears. Therefore, it is not surprising that brown hyenas developed dog-like habits. In this group of animals, everyone is looking for their own path.



The brown hyena is often called a kleptoparasite rather than a scavenger. After all, she prefers to steal fresh prey from other predators. The share of stolen food in her diet can reach 94%!

Our heroes live in small flocks and in clearly defined territories. The ruling couple of the group marks the boundaries of their zone of influence using scent marks. And here we must say that we have deceived you a little. The white and black secret are not good and terrible secrets. This is discharge!





Attention, you are crossing the border!

The anal glands of hyenas secrete not one, but two secretions at once, which are strikingly different from each other. One is viscous, sticky and white. The second one looks like black paste. Animals leave marks sequentially, one after another. The result is a series of black and white stripes, like on border posts. Only the pillars are frail: hyenas are spotted on tall grass, and not on bushes or stones.



The territory of one married pair of brown hyenas. Those squares in which marks occur especially often are shaded. The borders of their territory lie there.

Other animals think that having two secrets at once is overkill. But the hyenas thought of everything. Each substance has its own task. The white secretion is more liquid, it is released from modified sweat glands. A person can smell the smell of white marks even a few meters from the border post. But it also disappears in a few days.



Damn, it barely smells anymore... It's time to update the tag!

The black secret does not smell as strong, but lasts much longer. Studies show that the human nose can smell it a month after application. This effect occurs because the black secretion is produced by modified sebaceous glands and is rich in fats and similar substances. These chemical compounds capture odors well and slow down the evaporation of volatile substances. People have also figured out this trick and have been using ambergris, a waxy substance produced by the intestines of whales, for centuries. Amber is an excellent base for high-quality and extremely expensive perfumes.