Spotted Hyena

Spotted hyenas are the largest of the three hyena species. They grow to about 2.5 feet tall and 4.5 feet long. Males weigh around 100-130 pounds while females are over 10% larger. Female hyenas are extremely masculinized, and the genitalia of females are almost indistinguishable from those of males. Thus, males and females look extremely similar.

This species has a sturdy build, with a long neck, high shoulders, long muscular legs, and four toes on each foot with non-retractile claws. Their front legs are longer than their hind legs, which gives their back a slightly odd, downward slope. They travel in a sauntering lope, and can gallop up to 31 miles an hour for a couple of miles.

A slight mane may be present on the neck and shoulder. Their heads are massive with rounded ears and robust teeth adapted for chewing bones. The spotted hyena’s coat is short, rough, and ranges in color from reddish-brown to tan with round black spots, growing lighter and less spotted with age. Their tail tip, muzzle and lower parts of limbs are dark brown. Newborns are almost entirely black.

Spotted hyenas live across most of sub-Saharan Africa. Until very recently, they were a common species in their range, but now they have been extirpated from most areas of South Africa. High densities occur in the Serengeti and especially the Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania. Crocuta crocuta is the most numerous large predator in the Serengeti. They prefer open, dry habitat including semi-desert, savanna, acacia bush, and mountainous forest up to 13,000 feet— they avoid rain forests and true deserts.

Hyenas are carnivorous. Their variable diet includes birds, mammals, fish, eggs, carrion, and terrestrial non-insect arthropods. Their most common prey items are wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, buffalo, and warthogs. They sometimes feed on juvenile giraffes, hippopotamus, and rhinoceros. The size of their prey is dependent on the size of the hyena clan. Large clans can take down some of the largest animals in their range, smaller clans go after smaller prey, and individuals will hunt small animals like rabbits or foxes.

Hyenas are a top predator in their range. They will compete with lions for kills and frequently scavenge each other’s prey. Their jaws are probably the strongest in relation to size of any mammal, helping hyenas to utilize virtually everything on a carcass except rumen contents and parts of horn. They can crunch down on bones, skin, hooves, and teeth.

Spotted hyenas live in communal dens with clans composed of anywhere from 3 to 100 members. Larger clans generally occur in prime territory with high prey concentrations, whereas smaller clans more often occur in desert areas in southern Africa. Most of the time, spotted hyenas forage alone or in small groups, only coming together to defend territory, hunt, or care for their young. Although the hyenas will den communally during this period, they do not provide communal care for the young. They give birth in a solitary den and move their young to the communal den after 2-6 weeks.

In these matriarchal clans, all females are dominant to males, and females will remain in their natal clan for their entire lives. Males disperse when they reach sexual maturity to join other clans. Once a male joins another clan, he enters a dominance queue. When older males die, newer males will move up the social ranks.

Spotted Hyenas are highly polygynous. Males perform a bowing display to females before mating. The male lowers his muzzle to the ground, advances quickly toward the female, bows again, and then paws the ground close behind the female. Since females are dominant, males will retreat immediately if the female shows any aggression. The females have an enlarged clitoris that looks like a penis and is capable of erection. Females also have a pair of sacs in the genital region which are filled with fibrous tissue. These look much like a scrotum, but are covered with more hair than the male's scrotum. Thus, males and females look extremely similar. The female has no external vagina and must urinate, mate, and deliver young through the urogenital canal that exits through the pseudo-penis.

Gestation for spotted hyenas is 4 months. If siblings are the same sex, they begin fighting violently soon after birth, which usually results in the death of one of the two. This behavior is likely adaptive because single young receive more food and mature faster. Cubs are not weaned until they are between 14 and 16 months of age. Males play no role in caring for young. High ranking female hyenas seem to preferentially give birth to sons. Infanticide has been witnessed several times in the wild both by hyenas from neighboring clans and also by females from the same clan. One current hypothesis is that sexual mimicry is the driving force behind hyena masculinization. Females that look like males may be protected from aggression from other females.

Spotted hyenas are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, as the species remains widespread in Africa, and the total world population well exceeds 10,000 mature individuals. There is a continuing decline in populations outside protected areas due to persecution and habitat loss, although this is not sufficient to warrant listing in a threatened category.

• Spotted hyenas have special stomach acids which allow them to digest things that most other animals cannot, like skin or bone.
• The giggling sound often associated with hyenas is a noise they produce that indicates fear or excitement and it is usually given when they’re being chased.
• Hyenas can eat ⅓ of their body weight in a single meal.

The Oakland Zoo’s hyena pair, Harley and Ozzie, were both born in 2007 at the U.C. Berkeley Hyena Center. They have lived with us since 2012. Harley is the dominant female of the group, though it’s hardly noticeable until food is involved! Ozzie is a lower ranking male so he is always attentive to Harley’s behavior. The hyena pair spends lots of time resting, grooming, and even playing together! Our hyenas are capable of destroying enrichment items that even lions and tigers can’t destroy. This means that they have to be given special enrichment that is catered directly to their needs.