Social interactions in striped hyena inferred from camera trap data: is it more social than previously thought?

Abstract

Understanding the drivers promoting sociality over solitariness in animal species is imperative for predicting future population trends and informing conservation and management. In this study we investigate the social structure of a desert dwelling population of striped hyena Hyaena hyaena. This species is historically regarded as strictly solitary albeit being the least studied of the extant Hyaenids. Accumulating evidence regarding the frequency of social interactions suggests a revision of striped hyena social structure is required. We hypothesized that striped hyena has a social structure that is more complex than expected for a strictly solitary species. For that end, we deployed an array of camera-traps in a remote desert region in Israel, and compared observed frequencies of striped hyena co-occurrence against null models to test whether hyena co-occurred more than expected by chance. Seven adults were (re)captured by our camera-traps in 49 different instances over 83 tracking days. Of these, 6 exhibited shared space-use around a scarce, isolated perennial water source. Five of them, co-occurred with other hyena (in 3 instances) significantly more frequent than expected by chance (and that timing suggests reproduction is unlikely to be the driving factor). Our findings substantiate evidence of complex social structure in striped hyena, highlight the importance of a scarce resource in space-use and sociality, and provide a baseline for future research of striped hyena social structure. We suggest that similar methods be employed to evaluate social structure in other “solitary species” to better understand their social dynamics.

Group density, disease, and season shape territory size and overlap of social carnivores

“…While there is abundant literature about the effects of spatial or social organization on population dynamics in free‐ranging animals (e.g. pathogen transmission, reviewed in White, Forester, & Craft, 2017; carnivore sociality, Tichon, Gilchrist, Rotem, Ward, & Spiegel, 2020), there have been few attempts to elucidate drivers of mammalian spatial organization as we have done here. Our work highlights the importance of monitoring and managing social carnivore populations at the group level.…”

Textured species range maps enhance interdisciplinary science capacity across scales

“…Although traditionally categorized as solitary carnivores, striped hyenas ( Hyaena hyaena ) tend to be more gregarious in certain parts of their range, such as in Israel (Tichon et al . 2020). A textured range map for this IUCN Near Threatened species provides new opportunities to test the effects of human pressure on behavior, which inherently affect resource availability and dispersion, a common driver of sociality in carnivore species (Figure 3).…”

“…Mapping HFI or other threats is particularly promising for species of conservation concern to understand current and future risks and behavioral strategies that promote persistence under varying conditions to guide decision making (Tulloch et al 2015). Although traditionally categorized as solitary carnivores, striped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena) tend to be more gregarious in certain parts of their range, such as in Israel (Tichon et al 2020). A textured range map for this IUCN Near Threatened species provides new Front Ecol Environ doi:10.1002/fee.2474 opportunities test the effects of human pressure on behavior, which inherently affect resource availability and dispersion, a com mon driver of sociality in carnivore species (Figure 3).…”

The faded stripes of Bengal: a historical perspective on the easternmost distribution of the striped hyena

“…Furthermore, it is an understudied member of the family Hyaenidae (Watts and Holekamp 2007). Many aspects of striped hyena behavioral ecology are yet to be understood (Tichon et al 2020), though its distribution in multiple range countries has been updated recently (Tichon et al 2016;Derouiche et al 2020;Bhandari et al 2020).…”