JAWS! I bet the first thing that comes to mind when you hear
JAWS is not the spotted hyena but the great white shark. Stephen Spielberg made
the jaw of the great white shark the trending topic of the summer of his
blockbuster release. While the great white shark has a mouth that is a force to
be reckoned with, the spotted hyena also holds its ground in the ferocious jaw
category. Hyenas may be smaller in
stature compared to the other carnivores of the animal kingdom but what they
lack in size they make up for with a powerful bite!
Hyenas have colossal jaw muscles. These jaw muscles produce
about 9,000 Newtons of bite force. A hyena can possess a bite force 40%
stronger than a leopard. Hyenas also have the ability to crack through bones of
varying degrees of thickness. Our researchers here at Fisi camp have witnessed
these bone crushing jaws in action.
Hyenas are skilled hunters who not only take down preys much
larger than themselves but also eat a tremendous amount in a short period of
time. Hyenas take down over 90% of the food they eat. We often see many of our
hyenas leaving carcass sessions obese.
JUBA, a Talek West hyena demonstrates the power of his jaw
on a wildebeest.
RSWL, a Talek West male hyena giving us his best smile :).
Notice the broken teeth and cavities!
Keep visiting the blog for more updates and information
about your favorite hyenas!
1 comment:
Great post Ashlei, wonder what your Dad thinks about all those teeth. Love the photos!
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