Species profile
About the spotted hyena
The spotted hyena is the most abundant large predator across Tanzania's savannas and one of the most misunderstood. Long-term research in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater showed that clans hunt for the majority of what they eat, and that lions steal from hyenas at least as often as the reverse.
Clans can number several dozen animals sharing a communal den and a defended territory. The whooping call carried across the plains at night, and the giggling used in disputes at a carcass, are among the most memorable sounds of a Tanzanian safari camp.
Life in the wild
Behavior & relationships
Behavior
Chiefly nocturnal and crepuscular, but active by day around dens and carcasses. Runs prey down over long distances rather than ambushing it, and stores surplus food in water.
Social life
Lives in matriarchal clans led by a dominant female. Females outrank all males, and a cub inherits its mother’s rank, producing one of the most rigid social hierarchies of any carnivore.
What makes it remarkable
Special features
The strongest jaws relative to size of any African carnivore. Females are larger than males and bear unusual external genitalia that make the sexes hard to tell apart in the field.
