Hyenas

Themes > Science > Class Mammalia > Mammals > Order Carnivora > Hyaenidae > Hyenas: Spotted Hyena

Name:	Crocuta crocuta
Mass:	48 to 55 kg
Height:	110 cm to 120 cm at shoulder
Range:	Africa south of the Sahara
Life Span:	average 12 years, max 20 to 25 years in captivity
Status:	no special status

The spotted hyena is also known as the laughing hyena because of the distinctive sound it makes (whooping, grunting, giggling, growling, whining). The coat is spotted and varies and changes with age. The female spotted hyena is larger than the male standing at 120 cm while the average males stands at 110 cm. The spotted hyena has a well-developed, muscular neck and large ears that are set high upon its head. The front limbs of the spotted hyena are longer than the hind limbs giving them a slightly sloping back. The sloping back is more noticeable when the hyena is showing submission with its tail between its legs as opposed to when it has its tail up and is showing aggression. The female spotted hyena has reproductive organs that are incredibly similar to that of the male, making them hard to distinguish visually from males.

The spotted hyena is found in Africa south of the Sahara except in the Congo Basin. Large numbers can be seen in Ethiopia, British Somalialand, and Ngorongoro Crater. The spotted hyena can live in many different terrains and climates from deserts to mountain to flat, grassy plains to marshes.

Spotted Hyena Teeth With large, bone crushing teeth, a massive jaw and excellent hearing and sense of smell the hyena is a keen hunter. Hunting by night and sometimes by day the spotted hyena preys upon wildebeest, gazelles, zebra, rhino calves and a large number of different species of ungulates (hoofed mammals).

Hunting in pack or alone, hyenas usually track young, weak, diseased, injured or already dead prey. The average hyena can consume 14.5 kg of meat per meal. To assure food for themselves, spotted hyenas will carry food off from a kill and sometimes even store it away.

Spotted hyenas live in packs called clans, which are led by females (matriarchs), and may contain up to 100 individuals. Each clan protects theirs own territory, which is known as their territorial hunting grounds. The focal point of the hyena's social life is the den and the cubs.

There is no mating season for the spotted hyena they will mate and produce young throughout the year. Gestation last anywhere from 98 to 110 days and typically two young are produced. Unlike most carnivores, hyenas are born in an advanced state of development. Their eyes are open, many of their teeth are already in, and they are surprisingly active, pulling themselves along with their front paws. Newborns are born all black and weigh about 1.5 kg.

The mother handles the majority of parental care, such as building the den, protecting the young, and nursing. The male rarely participates, but if he is around when the cubs are still growing, he may occasionally play with and chase them. After the cubs reach the age of one year, females typically remain with their mother and her clan while males choose to leave and find a mate.

Spotted Hyena Standing The spotted hyena is a well-known scavenger around human settlements and is often the cause of livestock disappearing. They are very adaptable and are able to coexist in human surroundings and have even been known to attack and terrorize people. However one of the benefits of the hyena is that it clears up unwanted trash and rubbish. The spotted hyena has even been hunted for it's coat.

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