Creature Feature
Spotted Hyena
(Crocuta crocuta)
Fast Facts
• Largest of 4 species
• Live in large clans
(>80 individuals)
• Weigh ~ 90-140 lbs
• 2-5 feet tall
• 2-4 feet in length
• Females are larger than males
• Known for their ‘laughter’
Range
Behavior
• Rest and give birth in dens
– Rarely dig themselves
– Use abandoned lairs of
warthogs
• A single den can house several females and
dozens of cubs at once
• Spotted hyena societies are more complex
than those of other carnivorous mammals
• Packs are led by an Alpha female
Feeding
• Highly intelligent – have
very good eye sight
• Scavenge as well as hunt
for food
– Mainly hoofed animals
(wildebeest, antelope)
– Follow vultures to carcasses
– Can digest everything from
fur to bone
• Frequently clash with lions
over food
Reproduction
• Breed year round
• Males do not contribute
to parental care
• Birth is difficult - 10%
of first time mothers
die during labor
• Cubs are born with their eyes open and 2 in.
canine teeth
• Cubs will attack each other from the moment
they are born
Video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xh2Y
pA1JzE