Canine Carnivores - Spotted Hyena (Gevlekte Hiena)

Spotted Hyena (Gevlekte Hiena) in Southern Africa

Crocuta crocuta

2 hyena species can be found in the wild in South Africa. The spotted hyena is the larger of the 2 species.

The spotted hyena has a blunt dark brown snout, strongly developed jaw muscles and exceptionally large teeth. It is said that the hyena has the strongest jaws of all mammals. The spotted hyena has a sloping appearance with its front much higher than it hind quarters (The front body is markedly stronger than the back). Short brownish grey hair covers its body with random dark spots all over. The tail is short and hairy with a dark tip. Adult males weigh up to 75 kilograms and have a shoulder height of about 80cm.

The spotted hyena is nocturnal and can be predators of animals as large as zebra, but they are more often opportunistic scavengers.

A typical hyena clan in the in wild South Africa will consist of about 12 hyenas, but in other parts of Africa  clans of close to a 100 individuals have been recorded.

Their young are tended by only the mothers and can be born at any time of the year. They stop drinking from their mothers after about 18 months.