Spots are the most common way to identify the
hyenas we study. Each RA uses the spots on these animals to create specific
patterns and shapes. There are circumstances however, when spots are not very
useful. We often see hyenas muddy, obese, and bloody. These conditions distort
the spots and make our job a bit more taxing.
Bushes are another foe of patterns and shapes. The hyenas love to rest
near shrubs and in thickets. These bushes cover the hyena leaving only a
portion of its body visible, such as an ear or leg. All of these scenarios make
it difficult to find the specific patterns and shapes that are key to
identifying it.
It is times like these when you need to use
something else to identify a hyena. Many of our hyenas have distinguishing
marks or other physical features that set them apart from the rest.
Snaggletooth
Snaggletooth's name gives a big hint as to what her
physical feature is. She has a tooth that extends outward on the right side of
her mouth. All you need to do is see her face to figure out who she is.
Roswell
Roswell is one of our immigrant males, you may
recognize him from one of my previous posts. Roswell’s left ear is his signature
trademark. Roswell is often found resting near the den charming all the females
with his lady-killer looks.
Yogurt
There are many ways to recognize Yogurt. She is one
of our spookiest hyenas. Once the car gets within 20 meters of Yogurt she takes
off. Chances are that if you start driving towards a hyena and she runs away
you’ve found Yogurt. Yogurt is also almost always obese. My favorite feature of
Yogurt however is her extremely long neck.
Harpy
Harpy is one of the sweetest hyenas in Talek West. She is often seen in play with cubs or
nursing the newest edition to her family, Unagi. Harpy has a goiter on the side
of her neck that helps her stand out from the rest. There are many hypotheses
as to what caused this goiter. What’s your best guess?
Alice
Alice is one of the oldest hyenas in Talek West. We don’t see her very
often but when we do it is hard to mistake her for anyone else. Alice has what
we refer to as elf ears. The top of her ears scoop down which causes them to
have an elf-like shape.
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1 comment:
Loved the post. A vet who visited us last year thought the "goiter" might actually be caused by a piece of bone that may have lodged in her cheek. It would be worth looking for should she ever need to be tranquilized for a collar or some other purpose.
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