How Spotted Hyenas Crush Bones with Teeth Stronger Than Steel

We may not regard hyenas as the most adorable animals, but they are both fascinating and impressive. Despite having the appearance of a rather thin and scruffy dog, they belong to the Feliformia suborder, making them more closely related to cats than to canines. There are four extant (living) species of hyena: the brown hyena, the spotted hyena, the striped hyena, and the aardwolf. You will find them across Africa and parts of Asia, with only the striped hyena’s historical range extending into Europe. Today, most hyena species are limited to Africa and Asia, with each uniquely adapted to its habitat and location. Their bodies are also perfectly suited to catching, eating, and digesting certain types of prey. As carnivores, they need to capture other animals so that they can feed on them. Their specialized adaptations include a very impressive set of teeth. Here we will detail the structure and arrangement of hyena dentition in the context of their diet, feeding behavior, and development.

Hyena Diet

The diet varies by hyena species. Brown and striped hyenas feed mainly on carrion but supplement this with insects, fruits, and small prey animals. Spotted hyenas typically kill their own prey. Their diet is made up mainly of medium to large ungulates (including wildebeest, zebra, and buffalo). They will also opportunistically scavenge and are more likely to do this when carrion is more plentiful than fresh prey. Carrion can be entire carcasses of animals overcome by seasonal stress such as drought. However, hyenas also feed on what is left of a carcass after another carnivore has abandoned it. Occasionally, they will steal a carcass from another predator.

Hyena Feeding Behavior

Hyenas feeding on a carcass will eat the entire thing, including meat, bone, hair, hooves, and horns. Most of this material can be digested by their specialized intestines and stomach acid. What cannot be broken down is regurgitated as pellets. Typically, they begin at the belly or groin and feed on the more desirable (fleshy) parts of the carcass first, if any have been left by the original predator. Then, they move on to the legs, pelvis, and vertebral column, which are often severed and carried off to be consumed at a location where they are less likely to be disturbed. The head is the last part of the carcass to be eaten.

Hyenas are voracious eaters and gorge on food when it is available. When eating in large groups, there is a lot of pushing and shoving as they compete for a position around the carcass. There is also a hierarchy for priority feeding positions, with adult females getting the most food. The speed at which a pack of hyenas can consume a carcass is astonishing. For example, a group of 21 hyenas finished a 220-pound wildebeest carcass in under 15 minutes, leaving only blood stains on the ground! To be able to achieve this, they need highly specialized teeth that can crush bones quickly so that they can be swallowed.

Hyena Skulls and Dentition

Hyena skulls are robust and elongated, with short jaws that give them a powerful grip. Hyenas typically have a total of 32-34 teeth in the following dentition pattern:

Incisors: 3 upper/3 lower

Canines: 1 upper/1 lower

Premolars: 4 upper/3-4 lower

Molars: 1 upper/1 lower

The size of the teeth varies between hyena species due to differences in their diets. Because striped and brown hyenas feed on smaller prey and insects, their molars are comparatively small, and their carnassials (the fourth upper premolars and first lower molars) are used for crushing, shearing, and slicing. Spotted hyenas, on the other hand, need to be able to crush bones quickly and rip tough hides into pieces. Their premolars are therefore larger, and their carnassial teeth are used solely for slicing or shearing. Additionally, their canines are robust, sharp, and recurved.

Bite Force and Dental Strength

Spotted hyenas have one of the most powerful bite forces among mammals, measured at up to 1,100 psi. Their bite force increases with age and is strong enough to crush large bones. However, there is no point in having a powerful bite force if the teeth are not also strong. Their dental enamel (the hard outer coating of teeth) has a complex 3-D structure of zig-zagging bands, which makes them highly resistant to fracture.

Baby Hyena Teeth

Baby hyenas are born with teeth that are fully erupted by the age of two months. These are deciduous teeth (commonly known as baby teeth) and will be lost and replaced by adult teeth. By around 18 months of age, the adult teeth are fully erupted. Young hyenas can be seen chewing on twigs and vegetation to strengthen their teeth and jaw muscles. They are getting ready to tackle a full carcass when they are older.