Mammal · GBIF taxon 5218781
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocutaAlso known as Laughing Hyena
Spotted hyenas live in highly structured, female-dominated clans of up to 80 individuals, maintaining complex social bonds through elaborate greeting ceremonies. Equipped with bone-crushing jaws and exceptional physical endurance, these adaptable carnivores hunt live prey just as frequently as they scavenge. Their distinctive vocal repertoire ranges from high-pitched giggles uttered under stress to loud whoop calls that echo across nocturnal savannas.
SocialPredatorSub-Saharan
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Wildebeest
- Zebra
- Gazelles
Predators
- Lions
ThreatsHabitat loss, retaliatory poisoning, snaring, and direct persecution
HabitatsSavannas, open grasslands, woodlands, semi-deserts, and mountain forests
Life span12–20 years in the wild
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderCarnivora
- FamilyHyaenidae
- GenusCrocuta
- SpeciesCrocuta crocuta
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Large carnivore with immense jaw strength; keep a safe distance and remain inside vehicles.
- Why it is dangerous
- Massive jaw muscles generate enough force to crush heavy bones, making bites extremely dangerous.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Recognizable by a sloping back, rounded ears, dark spots, and powerful neck profile.
- What to do
- Stay inside vehicles, refrain from walking on foot at night, and never approach feeding packs.
Responsible observation
- Observe from vehicles: Remain safely inside protected safari vehicles when viewing hyenas in the wild.
- Keep clear of dens: Give active denning sites wide berth to avoid disturbing mothers and pups.
- Secure food in camps: Store all food and rubbish in wildlife-proof containers when camping in savanna regions.
Competitor "African Lion" by Mathias Appel is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. · cc0
Competitor AfricanConservation / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative Tisha Mukherjee / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Tony Rebelo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Tony Rebelo · cc-by-sa
Close Relative no rights reserved, uploaded by Dave Brown · cc0
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.