https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2024.136
A record of thanatological type behaviour in spotted hyaenas, Crocuta crocuta (Erxleben, 1777)
Submitted: 12 July 2023
Accepted: 29 January 2024
Published: 26 February 2024
Accepted: 29 January 2024
Abstract Views: 576
PDF: 214
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Authors
We note thanatological behavioural displays by clan members of a deceased spotted hyaena, Crocuta crocuta (Erxleben, 1777) in a fenced reserve. A matriarch had a lethal altercation with lions, Panthera leo (Linnæus 1758), on 10.V.2022. The carcass was monitored with a camera trap that recorded videos until the carcass was completely decayed. Four instances of clan members were recorded observing and sniffing the genitalia of the deceased hyaena over a period of six days. Within one month, the clan killed the deceased’s cubs and moved their den location. We recommend further research be conducted into thanatological behaviours of spotted hyaenas as these behaviours could affect ethical considerations of management practices.
Appleby R, Smith B, Jones D. 2013. Observations of a free-ranging adult female dingo (Canis dingo) and littermates’ responses to the death of a pup. Behavioural Processes. 96:42–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2013.02.016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2013.02.016
Brown A, Pioon MO, Holekamp KE, Strauss ED. 2021. Infanticide by females is a leading source of juvenile mortality in a large social carnivore. The American Naturalist. 198:642–52. https://doi.org/10.1086/716636
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/716636
Burgener N, Dehnhard M, Hofer H, East ML. 2009. Does anal gland scent signal identity in the spotted hyaena? Animal Behaviour. 77:707 –15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.11.022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.11.022
Carter AJ, Baniel A, Cowlishaw G, Huchard E. 2020. Baboon thanatology: responses of filial and non-filial group members to infants' corpses. Royal Society Open Science. 7:192206. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.192206
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.192206
Douglas-Hamilton I, Bhalla S, Wittemyer G, Vollrath F. 2006. Behavioural reactions of elephants towards a dying and deceased matriarch. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 100:87–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2006.04.014
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2006.04.014
East ML, Hofer H, Wickler W. 1993. The erect ‘penis’ is a flag of submission in a female-dominated society: greetings in Serengeti spotted hyenas. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 33:355–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00170251
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00170251
Goldenberg SZ, Wittemyer G. 2020. Elephant behavior toward the dead: a review and insights from field observations. Primates. 61(1):119 –28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-019-00766-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-019-00766-5
Gonçalves A, Biro D. 2018. Comparative thanatology, an integrative approach: exploring sensory/cognitive aspects of death recognition in vertebrates and invertebrates. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 373:20170263. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0263
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0263
Gonçalves A, Carvalho S. 2019. Death among primates: a critical review of non‐human primate interactions towards their dead and dying. Biological Reviews. 94:1502–29. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12512
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12512
Holekamp KE, Sakai ST, Lundrigan BL. 2007. The spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta as a model system for study of the evolution of intelligence. Journal of Mammalogy. 88:545–54. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12512
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1644/06-MAMM-S-361R1.1
Honiball T. 2021. Estimating the population size of three large carnivore species and the diet of six large carnivore species, in Madikwe Game Reserve. Unpublished MSc Thesis, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. Available from: http://vital.seals.ac.za:8080/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:43421?site_name=GlobalView
Honiball T, Venter J. 2022. A record of thanatological behaviour of spotted hyaenas, Crocuta crocuta. Mendeley Data, V1. https://doi.org/10.17632/wt26hdsw3v.1
Shteckler E, Yosef R. 2023. Thanatological behavior in striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena). Acta ethologica. 27:75–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-023-00428-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-023-00428-2
Smith JE, Powning KS, Dawes SE, et al. 2011. Greetings promote cooperation and reinforce social bonds among spotted hyaenas. Animal Behaviour. 81:401–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.11.007
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.11.007
Strauss ED, Jensen FH, Gersick AS, et al. 2021. Daily ranging and den usage patterns structure fission-fusion dynamics and social associations in spotted hyenas. bioRxiv (preprint). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.01.462772
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.01.462772
Yosef R, Dabi H, Kumbhojkar S. 2021. Thanatological behavior of a female leopard Panthera pardus fusca. Acta ethologica. 24:137–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-021-00364-z
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-021-00364-z
How to Cite
Honiball, T.-L., & Venter, J. A. (2024). A record of thanatological type behaviour in spotted hyaenas, <i>Crocuta crocuta</i> (Erxleben, 1777). Tropical Zoology, 37(1-2). https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2024.136
Copyright (c) 2024 The Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.