Males Are Last in the Hyena Hierarchy (10 photos)

Did you know that each hyena clan is a matriarchy, ruled by an alpha female, with adult males at the bottom of the hierarchy? It gets even more interesting when you take a closer look. Hyena packs are kingdoms, and their leaders are monarchs.





In the past, people thought that hyenas were devoid of females and engaged in all sorts of indecent behavior with members of their own sex. Now they are considered a clan of crazy feminists, humiliating their males 24/7. But you know what? Neither of these are true! In fact, hyena packs are a kingdom, and their leaders are absolute monarchs with all the games of thrones that entails.

Spotted hyenas are one of the smartest and most socially active animals. In terms of intelligence and hierarchy structure within the pack, they can compete with baboons, chimpanzees, wolves, dolphins and elephants. And in some cases, they even surpass them!



The structure of the hyena hierarchy at first glance seems quite simple. Predators live in large clans of up to 130 individuals, which are registered in an area of ​​40 to 1000 km² - depending on the abundance of prey and the number of individuals. A large clan is divided into smaller packs of 5-15 heads. They unite together only to protect the territory. Usually, each group is headed by a female matriarch, whose authority is indisputable. But not always.

This is where the difficulties begin - after all, hyenas know how to play full-fledged politics! They negotiate with each other, form alliances, set priorities. And they also respect blood kinship and family ties. How can you not look like the monarchical dynasties of the Middle Ages?





To make it clearer, let's look at the formation of a hyena pack. One day, a female decides that she is her own alpha and separates from her native group. Perhaps one or more sisters will leave with her, but only one individual plays the leading role. She regulates relations in her new pack and occupies the highest level of the hierarchy. The Queen.



At some point, a male will come to the new group, attracted by the scent of the lovely ladies. He will automatically occupy the lowest rung of the hierarchy. It is understandable: the alien fell into an established group of relatives, where each is ready to bite the throat for her sister.



The quieter and calmer the alien male behaves, the greater the chance that the females will accept him into the pack and allow him to mate. He is unable to force a lady to an intimate process - unlike other animals, female hyenas surpass males in strength and size.



New games of thrones will begin with the appearance of offspring. Only by right of their birth, the little ones become one step higher than all the males of the pack. But the position of "heirs" does not suit the children. They need complete superiority! From the first days of life, kittens fiercely attack each other with the most serious intentions. About 25% of all cubs die in the first month of life from the teeth of brothers and sisters.



The babies that are born inherit their mother's status. Thus, the cubs of the alpha female become direct heirs to the throne. The high-born position goes to everyone, regardless of gender. And here begins the third round of fierce battles for the right of the strong.



Remember that brothers and sisters fight for status in hyena society from the very first days? So, those who survived this meat grinder become each other's main allies. This system helps to strengthen the position of the ruling dynasty - if a low-ranking individual decides to challenge a higher-ranking one, all relatives will rush to its defense!



Because of such cohesion, clashes within a hyena pack occur extremely rarely. It is easier to leave and start your own pack than to try to knock out a place in the sun in your native one.

As they reach sexual maturity, young male hyenas leave their native group, while females remain in it forever. This is why daughters most often become the next alpha females. But in succession to the throne, it is not gender that matters, but blood! For example, there was a case when a male stayed in his native pack and even led it for a while. He was the son of a queen, and all his sisters sided with their brother after the death of the matriarch.



Therefore, the statement that all hyenas are ardent feminists is fundamentally wrong. They are ardent monarchists! The animals are well versed in blood ties within the group, they know exactly their status and the position of all their relatives around them. And since males leave the native group, all dynastic squabbles occur between sisters, aunts and grandmothers.