Spotted+Hyena

The spotted hyena //(//scientific name: //Crocuta crocuta//) is a very common hyena in South Africa. They are spotted (usually black or dark brown spots) and tan all over. This kind of hyena is usually two to three feet tall and weighs anywhere from 90 to 190 pounds. The females are slightly larger than the males, and appear stronger so that they can protect their babies from the males because of their cannibalistic nature. Most hyenas are usually connected more to cats rather than dogs, even though their looks say otherwise. They are mostly found in grasslands, woodlands, savannas, sub deserts, forest edges, and mountain areas. They make certain sounds in which they sound like they are wailing or “laughter” that we most commonly think of when we hear “hyena”. This laughter is used to alert other members of their clan around them to let each other know that they have found food or that they have spotted their prey and need assistance.

Spotted hyenas mate just like any other mammal would mate. The gestation period is between 90 and 110 days and two to four pups are born at a time. They grow up in packs, or clans, of usually 80 or more and females are most commonly the leaders rather than males.

Spotted hyenas are very skillful hunters and scavengers. They consume animals of various types and sizes (domestic stock and sometimes other hyenas because of their slight cannibalistic ways). In addition, they eat carrion (other animal’s dead flesh), bones, vegetable matter, and other animal droppings. Also to be more specific they eat birds, lizards, snakes, and insects. Their predators are lions, humans, hunting dogs, and sometimes other hyenas.

You can find them all over South Africa, so human contact with them at one point or another is not unlikely. We will most likely see many of them throughout our trip. They are not scared or afraid of humans though, so we have to be careful.