"The Pack"

[escritoireazul]

Quick question about pack structure and BtVS.



Hey, question. In "The Pack" (BtVS season one), why, in the power walk scene, are the guys up front? Aren't hyena packs led by a female? The guys are the ones in charge throughout this episode, and it drives me nuts.

Yes, I have these thoughts a lot, okay? Humans as animals was one of my favorite things to study--the whole dodgeball scene in here cracked me up, because I'd been doing theories of humans acting like animals in gym throughout school. My comparison at one point was young lions not quite confident in all their strengths but feeling pretty indestructible.

Also, that pig was too cute. I'm terribly sad they ate him, and now I want a pet pig. And a pet hyena. Except obviously not in the same place.

Comments

[lionessvalenti.livejournal.com]

The only thing I really know about hyenas is that the females are larger than the males because the males will eat the young if given the chance. I don't know if that means the females are leaders, though.

[carlyinrome.livejournal.com]

A group of spotted hyenas (called a "clan") can include 5–90 members and is led by a single alpha female called the matriarch. A complicated social hierarchy governs the clan, which cubs often learn before they begin to walk. Females are the dominant members, followed in rank by cubs, while adult males rank lowest. Male hyenas, which are usually smaller and less aggressive than females, often leave the clan when they are about two years old. Females tend to mate with males from other clans, thereby preventing inbreeding. Unlike many other animals, female hyenas very rarely mate with highly aggressive males. Instead, they select calm, patient and charming mates. Patience is especially important since courtship can last as long as a year. For this reason, dominant and impatient males have difficulty finding mates. Despite the complicated courtship, the female raises her pups without the male. Infanticide is comon "Prior to the mother's return, another adult female (a full sister to the new mother) arrived and methodically killed both newborns with crushing bites to the head" (Paula A. White)

On hunting: The spotted hyenas are an example of how the cooperative form of hunting can be dictated by the type of prey, as well as the predator’s ability to hunt and kill the different types of prey. When hyenas hunt an animal that is bigger than themselves, they act in a dog or wolf-like behaviour; hunting packs and together taking down the prey by biting and dragging it to the ground. If they are after smaller prey, they will hunt alone in a fox-like matter.

Like dogs, but unlike other animals in the same habitat, hyenas do not kill their prey directly. Having chased their prey to exhaustion, their prey is unable to mount any further defence of itself, and is captured and eaten while still alive. Although somewhat distasteful from the human perspective, the speedy disembowelment of the prey means that death often comes sooner than with the methods employed by other predators (for example, suffocation) and is an efficient means of eating which lessens the probability of the kill being lost to another predator.

Hyenas adapt their specific hunting strategy to the environment in which they live. In the Ngorogoro Crater, there is a very rich and concentrated amount of prey, and there are relatively many great beasts such as wildebeest or zebras. These animals are very much bound to one place and don’t migrate. Here, hyenas live in large clans (between 10 and 100 members per clan) and have established hunting territory which they often defend against neighbouring clans. The amount of large prey animals makes cooperative hunting more necessary than in the Serengeti, for example, where the clans often aren’t that large and must follow the herds when they migrate. Hyenas following migrating prey are less territorial, and will often hunt small animals individually as well as large ones in packs. An adult hyena is capable of taking down a fully grown wildebeest alone, but hunting in packs is proven to be more effective and fast . . .

cont'd

[carlyinrome.livejournal.com]

It is also common to see that some hyena clans actually have specialized in hunting certain types of prey. One clan may have specialized in hunting wildebeest, whilst another has specialized in hunting zebras. For instance, the “wildebeest hunters” often hunt in small groups (often 2–7 hyenas). When they approach the wildebeest herd, one of them runs into the herd and causes confusion. Then, it picks out a certain animal (usually the oldest, youngest or one that is wounded or weak) it begins to hunt down. The other hyenas then join it, scaring all other wildebeest away and concentrating on the unfortunate chosen one. Such a hunt can go for a couple of kilometres, with a speed up to 64 km/h. When the prey is down, the hyenas share the food without any fights worthy to mention. In spite of the fact that they are equally hungry, they are tolerant and respect each others’ ranks. The more is usually the better, since the prey can be effectively defended against other predators, such as lions.

The hunt of zebras is slightly different, however, since the social structure of wildebeest and zebra are different. The zebras huddle together when they spot the hyenas, and run away close to each other. A group of hyenas that are after zebras will find this hunt difficult, because the leading stallion fiercely defends his herd with kicks and bites. Again, one single fast and brave hyena must run up in front and distract the stallion, while another picks out an animal. As soon as this hyena bites, the others will join in, while two hyenas constantly distract the stallion, until it gives up.

An average number of 11 hyenas is often required for such a hunt, but the number doubles up when it is feeding time. There is most often 6 hyenas hunting a wildebeest, but the number on feeding time is the same as with zebras.

The difference in numbers when hunting is connected to how well the prey is able to defend itself. Hyenas have no illusions about their power, and only hunt the prey they are able to at the specific time (four hyenas, for example, wouldn‘t even try hunting down a zebra). The size and behaviour of the hunting parties is therefore directly connected to the size and behaviour of the prey animals.

Wikipedia (http://wikipedia.org/) owns me.

[schizoauthoress.livejournal.com]

The assumption is that Xander was possessed by the hyena leader, and I carry that assumption further by simply writing it off that the boys got female hyena sprits and the girls got male hyena spirits.

[peri81.livejournal.com]

Having not seen the episode in years, I'm basically just guessing on my theory.

I was guessing that the hyena's that were being used in the ritual were all female due to them having more 'power'.

I just kind of figured they used a pack structure opposite of what the slayerette set up was. Also part of the ritual was an act of aggression, and the guys were being more aggressive than the lone female that was there.

I don't know if this makes sense. Maybe I'll try again in the morning.

Shoot me, stuff me, mount me.

[faechick.livejournal.com]

This is random, and not really on topic, but female hyenas have genitals that hang on the outside, like males, and are larger than the males. So before anyone really studied them people'd mistake the females for males. Also, they are more closely related to the mongoose than any other animal, and more closely related to the cat than to the dog.