Spotted Hyena

Though the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) suffers a reputation as a dirty scavenger, a danger to livestock and humans, and even a grave robber, it is, in reality, a unique animal, with many fascinating adaptations and behaviours.

The spotted (or laughing) hyena is the most common large carnivore in the Serengeti ecosystem as well as in the whole African continent. It is recognised by its powerful build, with more developed forequarters than hindquarters, and a sloping back. It has a coarse, beige to reddish-brown coat with irregular spots that fade over time. Rare among mammals, females are larger and stronger than males, but their most unique feature is their sex organs. Both male and female hyena fetuses are exposed to a high level of male sex hormones. Females develop outer sexual organs that resemble those of males. They lack a vaginal opening and have a penis-like clitoris through which they copulate and give birth.

A dangerous predator

Though hyenas are frequently described as doglike in appearance, they are in their own taxonomic family and are more closely related to cats than dogs. Adults measure as long as 1.8 metres from nose to base of tail and weigh up to 90 kilogrammes. Hyenas have a strong body odour that helps identify fellow members of their group.

Formerly widespread in Eurasia and Africa, spotted hyenas are now confined to sub-Saharan Africa, in all habitats except tropical forests and deserts. In Serengeti, major prey include wildebeest and zebra, but, depending on the season, they will hunt larger and smaller mammals, as well as invertebrates and reptiles. Much of the success of the spotted hyena is due to its flexible behaviour and diet. An extremely competent predator, it can hunt individually, in groups of two to five animals, and in much larger packs. Aided by a heart that is large for its body size, hyenas chase and exhaust their prey over long distances at speeds up to 60 kilometres per hour. Its powerful jaws and specialised teeth allow it to eat virtually all parts of an animal, including bone and skin. Consistent with its reputation as a scavenger, it will also consume carrion and faeces, and, though typically shy around people, it will forage garbage left around human settlements. Associated with this are documented cases of hyenas eating human corpses, as well as preying on live humans who are sick or otherwise vulnerable.

A female dominated hierarchy

Spotted hyenas are highly intelligent and demonstrate social behaviours that are often compared with that of primates. Spotted hyenas live in large communities or clans that might include 80 or more adults. Females are dominant, with an alpha female as the clan leader, followed by her female offspring and then all other females. Even the lowest ranking females dominate the highest ranking males. Behaviour is complex and nepotistic, with individuals able to recognise and favour fairly distant relatives.

Female hyenas give birth after a four-month gestation to one to four cubs. In contrast to other carnivores, spotted hyena cubs are born with their eyes open and canines and incisors fully erupt. Siblings start competing for rank and access to the mother’s milk almost immediately after birth. This conflict is most intense and sometimes leads to the death of a sibling where prey are less abundant and the mother is away from the den for several days. Females tend to stay with their clans. Males typically leave after about 3 years.

Hyena communication

Hyenas communicate via scent, posture, and sound. Their extensive vocabulary include whoops, grunts, growls, squeals, and whines. These sounds can alert other clan members to defend a territory, they can indicate greeting, arousal, and aggression, and they can convey information about social rank. The giggling or laughing sound that gives the spotted hyena its alternative name is a signal of distress or submission to a dominant hyena.

Spotted hyenas have few enemies other than humans, who widely regard hyenas as a pest. In Serengeti, their closest competitor for food is the lion, which also sometimes preys on young hyenas. Contrary to common belief about hyenas stealing kills from lions, it is most often lions that steal from hyenas. Though the spotted hyena is not considered endangered, its long-term viability outside of protected areas is questionable. Threats to spotted hyenas include habitat loss and deliberate poisoning by humans.

The Striped Hyena and the Aardwolf.

With a population estimated at between seven and eight thousand individuals, the spotted hyena is the most common hyena in Serengeti. However, there are two related species of note in the ecosystem. The striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), which has a scattered distribution across Africa and the Middle East, shares many of the adaptations of the spotted hyena, including bone-crushing teeth, but it is a smaller, more retiring animal. It has a similar appearance to a spotted hyena, with prominent black stripes on its torso instead of spots. Better adapted for arid and semi-arid environments, it prefers thornbush and scrub woodland, avoiding areas dominated by the spotted hyena. Rarely killing anything larger than a newborn antelope, it feeds mainly on carrion and insects. An even smaller and more distant relative is the aardwolf (Proteles cristata). This nocturnal animal has a slender build with long limbs, a long neck and mane, and a red-brown coat with brown stripes. As suggested by its name, it is an insectivore whose primary diet is a single species of harvester termite, which it scoffs up with its broad, sticky tongue at an estimated rate of a quarter of a million per night.