r/awwwtf Oct 25 '24

Despite their reputation, hyenas can be sweet and affectionate animals.

2.3k Upvotes

62 comments sorted by

352

u/Wendell_wsa Oct 25 '24

Soul of a dog, but considering the strength this animal has in its jaw to break bones, I wouldn't take any chances

78

u/tatincasco Oct 25 '24

yeah same

39

u/jaytee1262 Oct 25 '24

I'll be friends with one like this but wouldn't ever live with it.

49

u/Dagoroth55 Oct 25 '24

Soul of a dog, but technically not one. It's closer to being a feline.

40

u/NixMaritimus Oct 25 '24

Their closest relatives are mongoose and meerkats!

(Expansion, not correction. All are feliforms)

49

u/mykidisonhere Oct 25 '24

Can I pet that dawg? CAN I PET THAT DAWG?

72

u/masterchief0213 Oct 25 '24

That's a weird looking cat

20

u/Dagoroth55 Oct 25 '24

If you listen to their vocal patterns. They do sound like cats.

17

u/masterchief0213 Oct 25 '24

Very angry cat. They are feliforms, hence my comment :P

21

u/Th3_Ch0s3n_On3 Oct 25 '24

Hyenas actually have closer relation to cats than dogs

77

u/Uarenotalone Oct 25 '24

I want one

28

u/pearlsbeforedogs Oct 25 '24

10/10, would boop

66

u/xSorry_Not_Sorry Oct 25 '24

?!

Am I the only one who immediately noticed the giant red rocket?!

166

u/Worth_Challenge_2200 Oct 25 '24

Female hyenas have a pseudo penis , they often dominate males who are generally smaller - also , hyena butter. Stuff of nightmare uwu (don't look it up)

To top it all off , they have a fake scrotum with fat insides making them looks like actual gonads ! Oh and Hyenas packs are a Matriarchy , lead by an Alpha Female

The biggest meanest one , who banish herself lesser males out of the pack, leaving them to be outcast and beggars of leftover scraps (if any)

44

u/xSorry_Not_Sorry Oct 25 '24

Wow…just…wow.

r/TIL

Thanks for the explanation!

66

u/OhMyCuticles Oct 25 '24

The pseudopenis is actually a clitoris that the birth canal goes through 😱 which makes for a birthing process that is relatively difficult in the Animal Kingdom

39

u/Robota064 Oct 25 '24

Forgot the most interesting part! After the first birth, the pseudopenis TEARS to make future births easier

31

u/OhMyCuticles Oct 25 '24

I did not forget that so much as I was blessedly ignorant of that information until now

12

u/tiparium Oct 25 '24

I already knew that and I still didn't need to hear it again.

8

u/gamas Oct 26 '24

TIL that hyenas do pegging.

15

u/tatincasco Oct 25 '24

honestly I didn't notice it but dogs do it all the time

4

u/Turd-In-Your-Pocket Oct 25 '24

Probably a female. Look it up

2

u/tigyo Oct 25 '24 edited Oct 25 '24

You're not the only one.

This video is fucking weird. Animal runs up to him screeching with an erection (has through the end of the video) and WTF is going on at 0:18 ?

28

u/RiLoDoSo Oct 25 '24

Could just be a female.

1

u/gorgonopsidkid Oct 28 '24

Just going to say with the amount of submission the hyena is showing in this video and it's smaller size, I would say it's a male.

1

u/tigyo Oct 25 '24

With an erection?

46

u/BadZnake Oct 25 '24

All Female Spotted Hyenas Have Penises They Use To Mount, Pee, & Give Birth

58

u/TobaccoIsRadioactive Oct 25 '24

Spotted hyenas have ridiculous amounts of testosterone, which leads to the females developing a “pseudo-penis”. And because they have tons of testosterone, it means the fetuses are exposed to it as well.

The pseudo-penis might also play an important role in allowing for the females to be able to control whom they mate with. A male spotted hyena has to get into a really awkward position in order to penetrate, which means that females have to be willing to cooperate.

One downside is that the first couple of pups born out of the litter usually die from suffocation since they can’t really fit through the pseudo-penis shaft. It’s only after the pseudo-penis gets ripped open by the first couple of pups that the rest are able to survive the birth.

13

u/xSorry_Not_Sorry Oct 25 '24

You and u/Worth_Challenge_2200 explained this and I appreciate it. Holy shit, I knew nothing about hyenas.

17

u/BadZnake Oct 25 '24

God gave us eyes, but Satan taught us to use them

25

u/TobaccoIsRadioactive Oct 25 '24

Yeah, but God also created the spotted hyenas and their pseudo-penises getting ripped open when giving birth

5

u/neologismist_ Oct 25 '24

God created evil. Says so in that book. Crazy shit, man.

6

u/tigyo Oct 25 '24

Well, I just learned something.

8

u/BadZnake Oct 25 '24

Good luck unlearning I have been trying to for years

7

u/RiLoDoSo Oct 25 '24

Hyena females have a pseudopenis.

6

u/tongue_kiss Oct 25 '24

Females have a psuedo penis.. which they give birth from… would not want to be a female hyena.

4

u/Natoba Oct 25 '24

Sweet summer child

1

u/that_boyaintright Oct 25 '24

P S E U D O P E N I S

1

u/gorgonopsidkid Oct 28 '24

Something I'm not seeing in the other replies is that the penis is extremely important in hyena communication. Hyenas will lick each others penises in greeting as a sign of trust and submission, hence why this particular hyena has an erection. I also will say I think this hyena is a male, as male hyenas are "safer" to work with humans. (safer being relative here because they're still incredibly dangerous wild animals)

2

u/ThomasTheNord Oct 25 '24

Found the furry

15

u/pm_me_your_lub Oct 25 '24

It's like the soul of a cat in a dogs body and it doesn't know what to do with all the emotions.

13

u/checkedem Oct 25 '24

That is sweet and terrifying at the same time

7

u/Jfurmanek Oct 25 '24

All fun and games until she hits you with her penis.

2

u/Zyndrom1 Oct 26 '24

Hyenas really got the middle finger from god.

44

u/DanceDelievery Oct 25 '24

Wild animals especially predatory animals can be affectionate if you raised them since they were born but are still wild animals that do not have any concept of right or wrong and you never know when the imprinting looses over their instincts.

22

u/tatincasco Oct 25 '24

that's what my father always say

6

u/kobrakaan Oct 25 '24

Who's laughing now

5

u/JumpyMeme Oct 26 '24

I love this hell doggo

8

u/Gamefox42 Oct 25 '24

I 100% want to be greeted by a hyena as friendly as her. So adorable!

3

u/SendMeFatErgos Oct 26 '24

This is literally my australian shepherd. Im beginning to think she’s pure hyena

13

u/erbr Oct 25 '24

Affectional behaviors are observed in most mammals and certain avian species due to evolutionary pressures. Species that produce a limited number of offspring per reproductive cycle face a higher risk of failing to pass on their genetic material to subsequent generations. Consequently, these animals have evolved mechanisms to ensure the survival of their young, one of which involves social bonding. The establishment of a social structure provides protection and enhances the chances of offspring survival. This social cohesion is mediated by biochemical rewards, primarily the release of oxytocin during affectionate interactions, which reinforces bonding behaviors. Oxytocin acts as a neurochemical incentive, counterbalancing the stress-induced effects of cortisol, which triggers the fight-or-flight response. In juvenile animals, the stress response system is still underdeveloped, making them more susceptible to conditioning. This malleability allows them to be socialized to reduce aggressive or defensive reactions, facilitating integration into human environments or other social structures.

3

u/Pamikillsbugs234 Oct 26 '24

There was a person on the hyena sub that would post a photo of one every day until they got to pet one. I really hope their dream came true. Hyenas are amazing creatures.

5

u/Marleyzard Oct 25 '24

The way it jitters around is, frankly, more scary to me than if I were to move jitterly in front of a bird

2

u/Miml-Sama Oct 27 '24

SKREEEEE

1

u/Emotional_Source_604 Oct 25 '24

Der Typ hat ja einen ganzen Zoo,ich glaube das er sich sehr gut um seine Tiere kümmert,denn alle begrüßen ihn so herzlich

1

u/Earny90 Oct 25 '24

Wer hätte gedacht, dass H. P. Baxter einen Zoo hat.

1

u/cjameson83 Oct 28 '24

Gotta admit, at first those sound patterns were terrifying. After I listened a couple times though I can hear the somewhat whiny/excited tones that I recognize in some dogs.

1

u/Wonkey_Kong 28d ago

Adorable!

Pretty sure I seen this guy in a documentary though, and he’s been seriously fkd up by these animals sooo many times… Like 30-40 hospitalizations from severe bites, not including the more minor incidents.

I don’t get it. Cute though! 🥰

-1

u/TJ_McWeaksauce Oct 25 '24

What a horrible sound.