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| Spotted Hyena / Leopard Account compilation; Including the full story behind the 'Leopard kill' image! | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 11 2012, 12:12 AM (30,784 Views) | |
| Red Dog | Sep 13 2012, 08:23 AM Post #46 |
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I've never heard that. Leopards tend towards areas with trees while hyenas focus more on open areas. Often these are close by and leopards take carcasses into trees to avoid competion. Hyena numbers tend to be low in area with lack of prey or suitable habitat, such as large forested tracts and deserts. Small clans of 4-5 hyenas are found in poor habitat, such as Kalahri and Namib deserts. Largest clans occur in areas with highest hyena population density (i.e. open areas with large prey populations). Source: Molecular Ecology (2012) 21, 613–632 In association with varying population densities, clans range in size from the tiny groups found in the Kalahari and Namib deserts, which may contain as few as four or five members (Tilson & Henschel 1986; Gas- away et al. 1989; Mills 1990), to the large clans in east- ern Africa, which may contain over 90 members (Kruuk 1972; Frank 1986; Hofer & East 1993a; Holekamp et al. 1993). Across 19 study populations in which all individ- ual members were known for one or more clans, mean clan size was 28.8 hyenas, but this ranged from 3 to 67 hyenas (Holekamp & Dloniak 2010), with the largest clans occurring in the populations of highest density (linear regression: r2 = 0.717, P < 0.0001, Fig. 2A). http://people.mills.edu/jesmith/Holekamp_et_al_2011_Society,%20demography%20and%20genetics%20in%20the%20spotted%20hyena.pdf Edited by Red Dog, Sep 13 2012, 09:03 AM.
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| Kurtz | Sep 13 2012, 06:46 PM Post #47 |
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Kleptoparasite
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"It must take account not only of prey biomass, but of niche exploitation, intercompensatory mechanisms and a spectrum of dynamic constraints for interspecific relationships between large predators. Thus Schaller (1967) found reason to believe that in India leopard numbers may increase where the tiger has been reduced or has disappeared". http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/Mono-005.pdf The correlation with number of other large predators and prey biomass, for the size and density of leopard is a fact. If i'm not wrong in Kruger percentage of adults in clan is the highest in Africa, 73%? With one male any 2,5 femals? I understood well? In any case,i do not know where it will lead this discussion, cause we have seen the hyenas clearly at least as large leopards in @ 70 kilos in these stand off
Edited by Kurtz, Sep 13 2012, 07:11 PM.
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| Red Dog | Sep 14 2012, 12:40 AM Post #48 |
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Tigers are more hostile to leopards since more closely related species tend to kill smaller relatives with prey overlap more often. Additionally, tiger and leopard habitats are less segregated than hyena and leopard habitats. For example, tigers and leopards use same microhabitats more (i.e. forested tracks with cover for stalking) while hyenas prefer open habitats where they can chase prey and locate carcasses. Additionally, Africa has high prey densities and diversities reducing prey overlap and competition with hyenas. Thus, tigers have more incentive and opportunity to kill leopards accounting for leopard numbers being low in areas with high tiger densities. I have yet to see any evidence leopard numbers are extremely low in regions with high hyena densities. |
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| Kurtz | Sep 14 2012, 12:46 AM Post #49 |
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Kleptoparasite
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Extremely low? Why should I prove something and when not to speculate, while others speculate without direct evidence? |
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| Red Dog | Sep 14 2012, 01:17 AM Post #50 |
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You made the claim leopard numbers are low in regions where hyena densities are high (and by extension clan size is larger). The burden of proof is on you ti support that point. |
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| Kurtz | Sep 14 2012, 01:30 AM Post #51 |
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Kleptoparasite
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"Should reduce" as is the case for the presence of lions and tigers in large quantities. I'm waiting for an estimate of the size and age of the hyenas involved in these fights- stands off Edited by Kurtz, Sep 14 2012, 01:33 AM.
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| Cat | Sep 14 2012, 01:47 AM Post #52 |
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Omnivore
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Not to doubt your words, but where did you get the info that it was a leopard to do that? That hyena looks quite massive, and apparently it was killed by skull bite - there is even a thick bloody goo nearby that is suggestive of brain or other organ being partly evisherated. It seems to me that such amount of devastation would more likely be the handiwork of a lion than of a leopard. |
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| Red Dog | Sep 14 2012, 01:48 AM Post #53 |
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We've already inferred that. Most likely low ranking adult males and female and much less likely to be high ranking females and especially matriarchs. Higher ranking females and matriarchs are more well-nourished and have higher testosterone levels. Also, note "adults" can be 2 year old males and 3 year old females. Hyena bite forces increase after these ages from what I recall. Hyenas are not lions and tigers and do not kill leopards anywhere close to the frequency lions and tigers do. In fact, tigers do not exclude leopards in areas with high prey densities in India. Areas with leopard and hyena interactions likely have at least similar levels of prey abundance and most certainly diversity. Behavioural factors that are likely to contribute to the coexistence of tiger Panthera tigris, leopard P. pardus and dhole Cuon alpinus, were investigated in the tropical forests of Nagarahole, southern India, during 1986–1992. Examination of predator scats and kills were combined with radiotracking of four tigers, three leopards, and visual observations of a pack of dhole. The three predators selectively killed different prey types in terms of species, size and age-sex classes, facilitating their coexistence through ecological separation. There was no temporal separation of predatory activities between tigers and leopards. Hunting activities of dholes were temporally separated from those of the two felids to some extent. Rate of movement per unit time was higher for leopards compared to tigers during day and night. In general, the activity patterns of predators appeared to be largely related to the activities of their principal prey, rather than to mutual avoidance. The three predator species used the same areas and hunted in similar habitats, although tigers attacked their prey in slightly denser cover than leopards. Both cats attacked their prey close to habitat features that attracted ungulates. There was no evidence for inter-specific spatial exclusion among predators, resulting either from habitat specificity or social dominance behaviours. Our results suggest that ecological factors, such as adequate availability of appropriate-sized prey, dense cover and high tree densities may be the primary factors in structuring the predator communities of tropical forests. Behavioural factors such as differential habitat selection or inter-specific social dominance, which are of crucial importance in savanna habitats, might play a relatively minor role in shaping the predator communities of tropical forests. Anyway, the frequency of hyena-leopard interactions is more impacted by hyena density. Hyena density is more variable than leopard density. Edited by Red Dog, Sep 14 2012, 01:55 AM.
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| Kurtz | Sep 14 2012, 01:58 AM Post #54 |
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Kleptoparasite
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Other predators influence the prey available. killing leopard is not the central problem in balance of density. I suspect there is @ least one large female high ranking in these stands off. @ 2 or 3 years i don't think that hyena can match in size a large male leopard in at 70 kilos, but i'm not a hyena expert anyway males 63 kilos females 68 kilos in kruger Edited by Kurtz, Sep 14 2012, 02:00 AM.
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| Jinfengopteryx | Sep 14 2012, 02:16 AM Post #55 |
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Aspiring paleontologist, science enthusiast and armchair speculative fiction/evolution writer
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But they still don't kill Leopards, because Leopards usually flee from them. Hyenas are social animals, so they can take a higher risk. A Leopard can't, if it get's injured, it can starve. So it will not fight against the Hyena, unless it's almost starved. And as the video I posted shows, Hyenas sometimes team up, to fight off Leopards, there the Leopard clearly won't try. |
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| Canidae | Sep 14 2012, 02:39 AM Post #56 |
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Omnivore
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@ Kurtz - On hyaena weights in the Kruger Park, Pienaar found adults to vary between 140 to 165 lbs (63 - 75 KG). I think 155lbs (70 KG) is the average for Zambian females, 149 lbs (68 KG) for males. (From Kruuk's book.) Though on their behaviour, Gus Mills reports in the Kruger Park, Spotted Hyaenas scavenge up to 80% of their food (mostly lion kills) and whilst capable of hunting prey as big as buffalo, they are not as aggressive. The scavenging they do is more passive (waiting until lions have finished). They are also more solitary and forage in smaller groups on average. The Lion / hyaena ratio is close to 1:1 and so there is more carrion for hyaenas in the Kruger Park and less incentive to hunt, and possibly fight. @ Cat - I agree and am waiting for more info. I think the head is missing too. Though I don't think it looks like a massive specimen? |
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| Kurtz | Sep 14 2012, 02:57 AM Post #57 |
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Kleptoparasite
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https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=438993086151622&set=a.264053263645606.84413.107365705981030&type=1&theater But i'm waiting for mail by idube GR Supplementary wounds in this hyena may have been inflicted post-mortem. You can rest assured that no animal died a few hours is left alone |
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| chui | Sep 14 2012, 03:31 AM Post #58 |
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Heterotrophic Organism
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The majority of the accounts posted here are from the Kruger area so if hyenas in this region indeed go about in smaller groups that would mean a higher probability of high ranking individuals being alone. And Kurtz has a point that in most of the photographed accounts, the hyenas appear just as big or larger than the adult male leopards. So given the similar average weights for adult male leopards and adult hyenas in the region, the hyenas involved certainly don't seem sub par. Also, in the accounts where the hyena involved is described as being large or at least adult female, the hyena is still not able to decisively dominate the male leopard. There was at least one account where a mother hyena with cubs nearby was aggressively chased off a kill by a large male leopard. |
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| Canidae | Sep 14 2012, 03:34 AM Post #59 |
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Omnivore
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The large (fully mature) Leopards were as big a the upper weight limit for Kruger Hyaenas weren't they? (roughly 165 lbs?) Also, I'm unsure how accurately we can assume weights of two animals with very different anatomy. Which was the account of the mother hyaena being chased off? |
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| Kurtz | Sep 14 2012, 03:59 AM Post #60 |
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Kleptoparasite
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Sure i did not see animals 50 kilograms involved , if I had to bet my money, anyway.. |
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