Hyaenodon was a carnivore which lived during the Eocene to Miocene epochs in the Northern Hemisphere. It is also the main antagonist in Walking with Beasts (Land of Giants)
Facts[]
Hyaenodon translates into "hyena tooth" even though the animal is nowhere near related to any feliforms, or any of the modern carnivores. However, they were more dangerous. One of the features that differentiate Hyaenodon from hyenas is size. The genus Hyaenodon has several species all ranging in size. The largest species, H. gigas, is one of the largest terrestrial mammalian carnivores ever discovered. This species measured 6 meters (20 ft) in length and weighed a total of 500 kg (1,100 lb). On the contrary, the two species H. microdon and H. mustelinus weighed 100 times less than H. gigas, the species in the show.
Hyaenodon was an apex predator. This animal preyed on the bizarre group of animals called chalicotheres, newborn or juvenile indricotheres, bear-dogs and a large, omnivorous relative of pigs and wild boars, the Entelodonts. Its sheer size and meat-shearing teeth would make a deadly combination, making it an efficient and successful predator. However, like most other early carnivorous mammals, Hyaenodon wasn't the brightest of animals.
Next to large creatures such as an indricothere, Hyaenodon may have looked small, but they were as big as rhinos, and were easily capable of killing an indricothere calf, if they could get pass the mothers. Hyaenodon have a bone-shattering force of over 1,000 pounds per square inch.
In the series[]
A pair of Hyaenodon at night. (Land of Giants)
Walking with Beasts[]
Land of Giants[]
A pair of Hyaenodon were seen watching a mother Indricotherium in labour giving birth to a male calf. The pair confronted and continuously attacked the mother and her calf but were unable to reach the calf in between its mothers legs. It is revealed that in the morning the mother and calf did indeed survive the Hyaenodon attack.
A Hyaenodon is seen stalking a herd of Chalicotherium. It successfully attacks and kills one by biting its neck. Before the animal could eat, a trio of Entelodonts appeared and challenged the Hyaenodon over the carcass. In a quick attempt to hide the smell of the carcass, the Hyaenodon poops on it, but it just made it worse. The Hyaenodon was overpowered and was chased away by the Entelodonts. During a downpour, a Hyaenodon is seen chasing an Entelodont but slips.
Gallery[]
Appearances In Other Media[]
Primeval[]
Read more at the Anomaly Research Center
Hyaenodon appears in the sixth episode of Season 4 where they are depicted as wolf-like creatures and were often incorrectly called "giant dogs".
Sinbad[]
The model used for Hyaenodon in Primeval (see above) was reused for the series.
Carnivores Ice Age[]
Read more at the Carnivores Wiki
The Hyaenodon in the game has a design very similar to its appearance in Walking with Beasts.
Errors[]
- Hyaenodon is said to have bone-crushing teeth in the series. In reality, it had teeth designed to shear meat off the body. It's still likely that they were capable of crushing bone.
Trivia[]
- It is coincidental that Hyaenodon has lived the same amount of time as hyenas, both being 21 million years.