Wolf or spotted hyena, who is stronger? Wolves and hyenas coexisted in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene Ice Age, and they may have fought frequently, at least unavoidably. Wolves and hyenas are excellent social hunters, with the former often hunting bison and moose, while the latter preys on African bison, zebras and wildebeest. Interestingly, male wolves are larger and are the leaders of the group, but in hyenas it is the females who play this role.
Wolves in general are also known as gray wolves, and they are also the first people's understanding of wolves. However, they are often mistaken for other types of wolves. This is because depending on where they are located, their actual appearance can vary greatly. Some ordinary wolves are only 35 kilograms, but others may be close to 45 kilograms. They range in length from 1.3 meters to 1.8 meters and come in brown, gray, black, red, white, and a variety of colors and shades.
Gray wolves have narrow heads and snouts and different weights on their shoulders compared to other species, but they are still very powerful animals. They are not as fast as other animals, but their endurance is unmatched. So they may not have a very fast initial speed, but they can catch up in the second half at a good speed. Wolves have very sharp teeth and jaws, and their bite force is said to be more than three times that of ordinary dogs. Interestingly, wolves' saliva can help new tissue grow and reduce the risk of infection.
Spotted hyenas are the largest hyena species, with females 10% larger than males. They are 1.3 meters long, 25 cm long at the tail and weigh between 60-70 kg. Their fur is short, ranging in color from sand to grayish brown with black spots. When the hyena is excited, the hairs on the neck and back will tilt forward. Spotted hyenas are strong, with large heads and necks, short and rounded ears, and powerful jaws. In addition, their front legs are longer than their hind legs, which makes their backs look sloping. Their feet have four toes, and the toe pads are so wide that the paws cannot be retracted. Because females have larger reproductive organs, it is difficult to distinguish them from males. They are often displayed at assembly ceremonies to strengthen social bonds and hierarchies.
Today, the gray wolf's range has been reduced to the following parts of the United States: Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Gray wolves also live in Alaska, Canada, Russia and some Eastern European countries. Historically, gray wolves were the largest mammals on land, spreading throughout the Northern Hemisphere except tropical forests. In terms of terrain selection, they often occur in forests, tundra, grasslands, deserts and mountains.
Spotted hyenas live in the savannahs of Africa, and their social structure is dominated by females, with a tribe of about 5-80 animals. When males reach adulthood, they usually leave their group, while younger females stay in the group in which they were born. They share a common cave and toilet and occupy a territory of 15 - 390 square miles. Often, they defend their territory by shouting, smelling, marking, and border patrols.
Gray wolves are carnivores, and their natural diet is limited to meat. They often prey on larger animals than they are, including moose, reindeer, elk, bison and musk oxen, as well as small animals such as beavers, hares, and other small rodents. Most experts believe that gray wolves help bring order and balance to the ecosystems in which they live. They are very opportunistic in terms of what to eat. Interestingly, they don't usually attack stationary prey, but they can surround it for hours or a day at a time, and if the animal runs, the gray wolf chases it and tries to take it down.
Spotted hyenas feed on a variety of prey and are a formidable hunter. If they hunt alone, they prey on smaller animals such as birds, hares, foxes, jackals, fish, snakes, and carrion. Usually, they will be divided into 2-5 individual hunting groups, and will hunt medium to large ungulates together, such as zebras, wildebeest, Thompson gazelle, Grant gazelle, toppi antelope, water antelope, large antelope, impala, etc. Meanwhile, spotted hyenas and lions have the same target prey, and they occasionally clash, which can lead to a group of hyenas killing a lion. To replenish their energy, spotted hyenas also eat foods such as fruit, eggs and invertebrates.
For wolves in general, their mating season is long, generally lasting from January to April. Usually, the male leader of the wolf pack will mate with the female leader, although it may also mate with other females in the group. But gray wolves are different, and their male leaders will only choose female leaders. Usually 4-6 cubs will be born per litter, and of course there may be more.
Spotted hyenas are mated in a polygamous manner, with males often bowing to attract females before mating. Breeding can take place at any time of the year, while the interval is generally 11-21 months. Spotted hyenas are very rich in milk, and the cubs can persist for several days between feedings, which is very different from wild dogs and lions. Females have the sole responsibility of raising their cubs, and they will mature at the age of 2-3 years. The male leaves the birth group around the age of two, while the female stays here.
Wolves use a variety of vocal and non-verbal forms of communication in wolves, and they are very dependent on their social group and do their best to sustain it. They are aggressive toward other wolves, often howling to inform enemies not to enter their territory. They mark their territory with urine and the smell inside them, while rolling on the ground and rubbing against trees helps them release those odors. For young gray wolves, it is difficult for them to find their habitat in the wild.
In terms of social intelligence, spotted hyenas are thought to be close to the level of certain primates. They have excellent night vision, mainly hunting at night, while sleeping or staying near caves during the day. They have a matriarchal social system, made up of related individuals called clans, which have a female leader. These animals mark their territory by scratching the ground and the oily substance secreted by the glands. Spotted hyenas have a large vocal range and communicate with tribal members with whimpering, yelling, grunting, growling, and clucking sounds. Giggles sound like wild laughs, hence their name.
The wolves will certainly make the hyenas feel very hurt before they retreat. If avoidable, no animal would want to risk fighting wolves. But in one-on-one combat, if the wolf and hyena are about the same size, many factors will come into play. In addition, wolves are smaller and weaker than hyenas, but faster, have stronger endurance, and seem to be smarter. In Africa, hyenas often clash with lions, and as long as all the lions present are females, hyenas can often drive away lions. However, when tigers appear, the number of wolves decreases.
Based on these different differences, I think the hyenas will win this duel because they look bolder, stronger, and bite more destructively. The fact that hyenas are more effective at dealing with predators, and that gray wolves have never found a foothold in Africa, the hyena's home country, have made me inclined to choose hyenas in this very close competition.
This is the result of the showdown between the wolf and the hyena, do you agree with me? Feel free to leave a comment and say your opinion. I'm the Director of the Discovery Bureau, and if you like my content, don't forget to click the Follow button and give a good encouragement, thank you!