Spotted hyaenas in most parts of Africa give birth at any time of year to litters containing one or two cubs, although triplet litters are occasionally reported as well (Frank et al. 1991; Wahaj et al 2007). Females may give birth at the communal den or in a private birth den (East et al. 1989, Henschel and Skinner 1990b; White…
The spotted hyaena is one the most highly gregarious of all carnivores; it lives in groups containing up to 90 individuals, and exhibits the most complex social behaviour. These animals live in social groups called clans that defend group territories. The society is characterised by a strict dominance hierarchy. The rank ordering among the adult females in one Kenyan study…
These animals weigh 45-85 kg as adults, depending on sex (males weigh less than females) and capture location (hyaenas in southern Africa are larger than those in other parts of Africa). Spotted hyaenas are hunters and scavengers and can even chase lions away from their kills. Spotted hyaenas are intelligent, noisy, and gregarious, living in groups of as few as…
The spotted hyaena is still widely regarded as a scavenger that picks up leftovers at the kills of other carnivores (cheetah, leopard, lion) or feeds on carrion. However, this is not correct: all studies demonstrate that the spotted hyaena is an efficient predator in its own right. Although spotted hyenas will scavenge opportunistically, they kill as much as 95% of…
This large, dog-like animal has a spotted coat and is strongly built. Its general color is sandy, ginger or dull grey to greyish brown, with blackish or dark brown spots on the back, flanks, rump, and legs. Spots may turn brown and fade with age. The forelegs are longer than the hind legs so that the back slopes downwards to…
Spotted hyaenas are the most abundant large carnivore in Africa. Since the late 1990s, confirmed records of C. crocuta have come from Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Congo, Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. Although spotted hyaenas occur throughout sub-Saharan Africa, their density varies widely among different habitats; they…
The spotted hyaena most frequently competes with the lion for kills (Kruuk 1972a, Schaller 1972a, Bearder 1977, Eaton 1979). Dominance relations between the spotted hyaena and competing species are not absolute but depend on the numerical presence of both parties. For instance, lions usually displace spotted hyaenas at kills. However, if hyaena group size is large and the ratio of…
Threats The spotted hyena has been, and still is, widely shot, poisoned, trapped, and snared, even inside some protected areas. Persecution most often occurs in farming areas after confirmed or assumed damage to livestock, or as a preventative measure to protect livestock. However, it may also take place “for fun” and as “target practice” (Namibia, Kenya), and out of fear…