P. brunnea Skull Replica measures 10.5 inches. P. brunnea Skull Replica is Museum quality polyurethane cast. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Made in USA. Known as Brown Hyaena.
The P. brunnea is primarily a scavenger. The bulk of their diet consists of carcasses killed by larger predators, but they may supplement their diet with rodents, insects, eggs, fruit and fungi.
P. brunnea live in small family groups called clans. These groups share food as well as the duties of rearing the young. In areas where they overlap, brown hyenas may on rare occasions be killed by Spotted Hyenas and lions.
P. brunnea are distinguished from other species by their long shaggy dark brown coat, pointed ears, and short tail.
Their legs are striped brown and white, and adults have a distinct cream-colored fur ruff around their necks. Erectile hairs up 12.0 in. in length cover the neck and back and bristles during agonistic behavior.
P. brunnea body length is 57 in. on average with a range 51 to 63 in. Shoulder height is 28 to 31 in. and the tail is 9.8 to 13.8 in. long. Unlike the larger Spotted Hyena, there are no sizable differences between the sexes, although males may be slightly larger than females.
An average adult male weighs 89 to 96 lb., while an average female weighs 83 to 89 lb. Brown hyenas or P. brunneus have powerful jaws.
Young P. brunnea can crack the leg bones of Springboks within five minutes of birth, though this ability deteriorates with age and dental wear.
The skulls of P. brunnea are larger than those of the more northern Striped hyena, and their dentition is more robust, indicating a less generalized dietary adaptation.
Brown hyenas are primarily scavengers the bulk of whose diet consists of carcasses killed by larger predators, but they supplement their diet with rodents, insects, eggs, fruit and fungi.
The Parahyaena brunnea is a species of hyena found in Namibia, Botswana, Western and Southern Zimbabwe, Southern Mozambique and South Africa. It is currently the rarest species of hyena.
The global population of brown hyena is estimated by IUCN at a number between 4,000 and 10,000 and its conservation status is marked as near threatened in the IUCN Red List.
The major threat to the Brown Hyena is human persecution, based on the mistaken belief that it is harmful to livestock. Brown Hyena body parts are also occasionally used for traditional medicines and rituals. The Brown Hyena is not in high demand for trophy hunting.
