Snapshot Serengeti Talk

One of the hyenas, I think?

  • BHamer by BHamer

    This is another capture where I don't like my classification (striped hyena) but I like my other options even less. I'm not seeing enough striping to feel confident saying either striped hyena or aardwolf, enough spots for spotted hyena, enough ears for bat-eared fox, or enough wolf-like appearance for jackal. So, I will once again turn to our ever-patient moderators for insight. Thanks!

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator in response to BHamer's comment.

    This is a spotted hyena . We see here the classic thick neck, sloped back and spots that are all key indicators . The striped hyena and aardwolf are both much less bulky with pronounced stripes that are absent here . The bat-eared fox is smaller and much more uniform in colouration and the ears are much more prominent . The jackals are thinner and more canine in appearance 😃

    Posted

  • BHamer by BHamer

    Yeah, the overall size and shape led me to think a hyena was most likely, but the usually obvious spots didn't really stand out, and what looks like some well-defined striping along the throat and chest threw me off. The example pictures of spotted hyenas show nothing like it, while the ones for striped hyenas show patterns that are at least vaguely reminiscent. Of course they show stripes on the main part of the body where this capture doesn't, so I didn't much care for that choice, either.

    Thanks for the clarification!

    Posted

  • tillydad by tillydad moderator in response to BHamer's comment.

    The spotted hyena coat does vary greatly among individuals and with the age of different animals . As usual, nothing is ever quite as simple as a common name may suggest !! 😃

    Posted