Hyena butter is a secretion from the
anal gland
Anal may refer to:
Related to the anus
*Related to the anus of animals:
** Anal fin, in fish anatomy
** Anal vein, in insect anatomy
** Anal scale, in reptile anatomy
*Related to the human anus:
** Anal sex, a type of sexual activity involvi ...
of
hyenas used to mark
territory
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
and to identify individuals by odor. The gooey substance is spread onto objects within the territory of the hyena by rubbing their posterior against the object they mark.
Folk beliefs in some regions of East Africa state that witches would ride hyenas and use a gourd full of hyena butter as fuel for the torches that they carried through the night.
Witchcraft and Sorcery in East Africa
By Edward Henry Winter, John Middleton, Dr John Beattie Published by Routledge 2004 Page 167
See also
*Deer musk
Deer musk is a substance with a persistent odor, obtained from the caudal glands of the male musk deer.
Although more commonly referred to as "musk", the term itself is often used to describe a wide variety of "musky" substances from other anim ...
* Dog odor
*Territorial marking
In ethology, territory is the sociographical area that an animal consistently defends against conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against animals of other species) using agonistic behaviors or (less commonly) real physical aggression. A ...
References
Carnivora anatomy
Hyenas
Secretion
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