American spotted hyena (SciiFii)

The American spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta americanum), also known as the American laughing hyena, is a subspecies of spotted hyena that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, mountainous regions, alpine, and tundra habitats across North America to help boost biodiversity. The American spotted hyena is the largest known member of the Hyaenidae family in North America, growing to be about the size of an African spotted hyena. It can be distinguished from African spotted hyenas and European spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta spelaea) by its darker colored pelt with a lighter chest. During the winter, in areas where it gets cold, the fur of the American spotted hyena can grow long and thick like a wolf's fur to help keep the hyena warm against the freezing temperatures during the winter. As with the African spotted hyena, the American spotted hyena is one of the most social of the Carnivora in that it has the largest group sizes and most complex social behaviours. Its social organisation is unlike that of most other carnivore mammals, bearing closer resemblance to that of cercopithecine primates (baboons and macaques) with respect to group-size, hierarchical structure, and frequency of social interaction among both kin and unrelated group-mates. However, the social system of the spotted hyena is openly competitive rather than cooperative, with access to kills, mating opportunities and the time of dispersal for males depending on the ability to dominate other clan-members. Females provide only for their own cubs rather than assist each other, and males display no paternal care. Like the Africam spotted hyena, the American spotted hyena society is matriarchal; females are larger than males, and dominate over the males. The American spotted hyena is a highly successful animal, being one of the most common large carnivore in North America. Its success is due in part to its adaptability and opportunism; it is primarily a hunter but may also scavenge, with the capacity to eat and digest skin, bone and other animal waste. In functional terms, the American spotted hyena makes the most efficient use of animal matter of all North American carnivores. The American spotted hyena displays greater plasticity in its hunting and foraging behaviour than other North American carnivores; it hunts alone, in small parties of 2–5 individuals or in large groups. During a hunt, American spotted hyenas often run through ungulate herds in order to select an individual to attack. Once selected, their prey is chased over a long distance, often several kilometres, at speeds of up to 60 km/h. The conservation status of the American spotted hyena is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the American spotted hyena's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii