Perhaps it's the trauma left over from The Lion King, in which the spotted hyenas are the snickering sidekicks to the villainous Scar, but theyve made it onto the list. The spotted hyenas legs seem out of proportion, with the back legs trailing behind the strong, lengthy front. Coupled with its thick neck, the hyenas general character seems ogre like. Theyre the most common large carnivore in Africa, living in clans of up to 80, but they dont kill all of their food some of it they steal. They have a diverse palette; capable of digesting skin, waste and bone of the food they steal from cheetahs, lions and leopards. The spotted hyena is also really cool, with some quirky characteristics. For example, the female of the species has, what looks like, a penis. Of course by definition, its not a real penis for the female, but a pseudo penis through which she urinates, copulates and gives birth. As well as taking their role as the penis bearers, the females also dominate the males of the species. Even the lowliest female hyena dominates the highest ranking, most aggressive male. Experts from the IUCN believe that its negative reputation could be harmful to its survival, preventing people, both locally and overseas, from caring about its conservation. Perhaps we should stop listening to Disney, and start cutting the hyena a little slack.
