SKIRMISHER

“With most animals, males duke it out and the winner gets the girls,” says Holekamp. “But with hyenas, females have 100 percent say.” They decide when and under what conditions they will tolerate deferential sperm donors. At age 2 or 3 a male leaves his natal clan and wanders off to beg acceptance into another clan. After vicious rejections, he eventually succeeds and reaps his reward: brutal harassment as the clan’s nadir, one of the last in line for food and sex. This probation, which biologists call “endurance rivalry,” is a test, Holekamp explains: “The guy who can stick it out the longest wins.” The trial lasts about two years, after which some females may grant him access. “You do not want to be a male hyena,” Holekamp says.

– “Who’s laughing now?”

{Intriguing: The world’s weirdest frog}

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