. Mammals of other lands;. Mammals. THE HYtENAS and AARD-WOLF 8i. Photo by A. S. Rudland &° Sont SPOTTED HY^NA Tie largest of the carrhn-fuding animals.' A South African species The hyaenas are carnivorous animals, with the front limbs longer than the hind. The tail is short, the colour spotted or brindled, the teeth and jaws of great strength. The Brown Hyaena, or Strand-wolf, is an African species, with very long, coarse hair, reach- ing a length of lo inches on the back. It is not found north of the Zambesi ; and it is nocturnal, and fond of wandering along the shore, where it picks up
. Mammals of other lands;. Mammals. THE HYtENAS and AARD-WOLF 8i. Photo by A. S. Rudland &° Sont SPOTTED HY^NA Tie largest of the carrhn-fuding animals.' A South African species The hyaenas are carnivorous animals, with the front limbs longer than the hind. The tail is short, the colour spotted or brindled, the teeth and jaws of great strength. The Brown Hyaena, or Strand-wolf, is an African species, with very long, coarse hair, reach- ing a length of lo inches on the back. It is not found north of the Zambesi ; and it is nocturnal, and fond of wandering along the shore, where it picks up crabs and dead fish. Young cattle, sheep, and lambs are also killed by it, and offal of all kinds devoured. The Spotted Hy/Ena is a large and massive animal, the head and body being 4 feet 6 inches long without the tail. It is found all over Africa from Abyssinia and Senegal southwards. A few are left in Natal. It is believed to be the same as the cave-hyaena of Europe. By day it lives much in the holes of the aard-vark (ant-bear); by night it goes out, sometimes in small bands, to seek food. It has a loud and mournful howl, beginning low and ending high. It also utters a horrible maniacal laugh when excited, which gives it the name of Laughing-hyaena. " Its appetite," says Mr. W. L. Sclater in his " South African Mammals," " is boundless. It is entirely carnivorous, but seems to prefer putrid and decaying matter, and never kills an animal unless driven to do so by hunger. Sheep and donkeys are generally attacked at the belly, and the bowels torn out by its sharp teeth. Horses are also frequent objects of attack; but in this case shackling is useful, as the horse, unable to escape, faces the hyaena, which instantly bolts. It is an excellent scavenger, and it has been known to kill and carry off young children, though the least attempt at pursuit will cause it to drop them. Many stories are told, too, of its attacking sleeping natives; in this case it i
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Keywords: ., bookauthorco, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectmammals
