Why Are Female Hyenas More Aggressive Than Males? A recent study by Holekamp and her colleagues suggests that status begins in the womb. They discovered that in the final weeks of pregnancy, high-ranking females produce a flood of testosterone and related hormones. These chemicals saturate the developing cubs—both males and females and make them more
Why Do Female Hyenas Have Male Parts? Female spotted hyenas have a dominance hierarchy, and the erect penis is a signal of submission. When two females interact with each other in a struggle for dominance, the one who wants to back down signals by erecting her penis. Can hyenas change sexes? Indeed, Pliny says, the
Why Weren’t Hyenas Domesticated Like Dogs Were? Hyenas would be poor candidates for domestication. They can be extremely aggressive. They live in packs. However, they do not take instruction from senior pack members the way that wolves do. Is it possible to domesticate hyenas? The striped hyena is easily tamed and can be fully trained,
Do Hyenas Mate With Their Siblings? Do hyenas mate with their siblings? Spotted hyena females have very clear ideas about which mate to choose. Young females prefer males that were born into or that joined the group after the female was born. By applying this simple rule, females effectively avoid incestuous breeding with their father