Spotted Hyena Female Skull

$242.00

The Spotted Hyena, native to central and southern Africa, is probably best known as a scavenger. Equipped with powerful jaws, combined with their large sagittal crest for muscle attachment, makes this species capable of crushing large bones, even those of elephants.

Description

Spotted Hyena Female Skull Replica measures 11 inches. Spotted Hyena Female Skull is museum quality polyurethane cast. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Made in USA. Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home décor skull, or office décor skull.

The Spotted hyena or Crocuta crocuta, also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus Crocuta, native to Sub-Saharan Africa.

The skull of the spotted hyena differs or Crocuta crocuta from that of the striped hyena by its much greater size and narrower sagittal crest. For its size, the spotted hyena has one of the most powerfully built skulls among the Carnivora.

The dentition is more dual purposed than that of other modern hyena species, which are mostly scavengers; the upper and lower third premolars are conical bone-crushers, with a third bone-holding cone jutting from the lower fourth premolar.

The spotted hyena or Crocuta crocuta also has its carnassials situated behind its bone crushing premolars, the position of which allows it to crush bone with its premolars without blunting the carnassials.

Combined with large jaw muscles and a special vaulting to protect the skull against large forces, these characteristics give the spotted hyena or Crocuta crocuta a powerful bite.

The jaws of the spotted hyena outmatch those of the brown bear in bone crushing ability, and free ranging hyenas have been observed to crack open the long bones of giraffes measuring 7 cm in diameter.

The spotted hyena or Crocuta crocuta is a highly successful animal, being the most common large carnivore in Africa. 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 spotted hyena makes the most efficient use of animal matter of all African carnivores.

The spotted hyena or Crocuta crocuta displays greater plasticity in its hunting and foraging behavior. It hunts alone, in small parties of 2 to 5 individuals or in large groups. During a hunt, 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 at speeds of up to 60 mph.

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Additional information

Weight 7 lbs
Dimensions 11 in
Spotted Hyena Facts:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Hyaenidae
Genus: Crocuta
Species: C. crocuta
Binomial name: Crocuta crocuta
Conservation status: Least concern – A least concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation. They do not qualify as threatened, near threatened, or (before 2001) conservation dependent.