On the status and distribution of the Striped Hyaena, Hyaena hyaena, in Turkey

• Published in: Zoology in the Middle East 2004-01, Vol.33 (1), p.93-108
• Main Authors: Kasparek, Max, Kasparek, Aygün, Gözcelioğlu, Bülent, Çolak, Ercüment, Yiğit, Nuri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: carnivores; distribution area; Habitat; historical records; Middle East; Red List
• ISSN: 0939-7140; 2326-2680
• DOI: 10.1080/09397140.2004.10638068

A review of literature records, many of them from the 19 th and early 20 th centuries, shows that the Striped Hyaena, Hyaena hyaena, has apparently always been rare in Turkey. The natural distribution area extends from the southern Marmara region (Lake İznik, Uludağ) over the Dardanelles and along the Aegean and Mediterranean coast to south-east Anatolia. Historical records from inner and eastern Anatolia are not considered as reliable, and the Turkish population has apparently never had a direct link with the populations living in the Caucasus. Recent field surveys show that the species still survives in Turkey, even in some western parts. Over the last 25 years, records are only available from a few areas; they come from the regions of Çan (Çanakkale province), Bergama (Kozak Yaylası and Yuntdağ area), Bafa Gölü/Milas, Antalya (Termessos National Park), Bolkar Mountains, Amanos mountains (Hatay province), and south-east Anatolia. The most spectacular record is from Altınözü in the Amanos mountains, where a local hunter trapped four individuals between 2002 and 2004, which were kept for some time in captivity before they were released again into the wild. The species is now highly threatened in Turkey and is on the verge of extinction, although our recent field work shows that still undiscovered populations may exist and that the total population, albeit fragmented, may be higher than hitherto thought. The paper includes the description of habitats and of museum specimens.