Spotted Hyena

Spotted Hyena Latest News

According to a new study the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) has emerged as an unlikely ‘eco-warrior’ in Ethiopia’s second-largest city Mekelle.

About Spotted Hyena

• It is also called the laughing hyena.
• It is a strong and capable hunter and the largest member of the hyena family. 
• Appearance: It looks like a dog but is closer related to cats, civets, and genes.
  • It is physically distinguished from other species by its vaguely bear-like build, rounded ears, less prominent mane, spotted pelt, more dual-purposed dentition, fewer nipples, and pseudo-penis.
• Habitat: It inhabits savannas, open and dense dry woodland, grasslands, mountains, tropical rainforests, semi-deserts, and coastal areas. 
• Distribution: It is mainly found throughout sub-Saharan Africa (Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Angola, Namibia, and parts of South Africa),

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Characteristics of Spotted Hyena

• They have excellent night vision, being mostly nocturnal, hunting at night, and sleeping or staying near their den in the daytime.
• They have a matriarchal social order of related individuals that are called clans. One alpha female leads the clan.
• These animals mark their territory by scratching the ground and with an oily substance that they secrete from their anal glands.
• Diet:  These are carnivorous animals that hunt and scavenge.
• It is the only placental mammalian species where females have a pseudo-penis and lack an external vaginal opening. 
• Conservation status: IUCN: Least Concern.

Source: DTE