What does it look like?
Striped hyenas have broad heads with large eyes, thick set muzzles, and large, pointed ears. Powerful jaws and strong cheek teeth indicate their primarily carnivorous diet.

The 3 species of larger hyena—striped, brown and spotted—all possess well-developed forequarters, sloping back line, anal pouch and dorsal mane. Hind legs are shorter and heavier than their forelegs. The smallest hyena is the aardwolf, an insectivore.

• Male and female hyenas look alike
• Males are slightly larger in the striped and brown species
• Females are larger in the spotted species
• The striped hyena's coat color varies from gray to light brown with vertical black stripes along the length of the body and dark, striped legs
• Along their backs are darker, erectile crests
• Coat hair is long, and develops a woolly undercoat in colder climates
• Their heads and bodies reach 3 to 4 feet in length; tails are about 12.5 inches; and they weigh from 55 to 121 pounds
• Striped hyenas may have longevity of up to 24 years in captivity

Where in the world?
Striped hyenas inhabit savanna, thorn bush, and stony desert regions throughout northern and eastern Africa, Arabia, Asia Minor and India. Their range is within 6 miles of water.

What are some behaviors?
Often described as solitary, hyenas in fact have complex social systems. Brown and striped hyenas do not produce loud whooping calls like the spotted species, but all have elaborate greeting rituals. Long-range communication is through scent markings deposited on grasses from their anal pouches.

Almost completely nocturnal, hyenas generally forage alone or in pairs, moving noiselessly. Although they may occasionally share large carcasses, group members rarely eat together, avoiding direct competition for food.

Brown and striped hyenas spend more time searching for widely scattered food, and are better able to exploit harsh environments than the spotted species. But they are less equipped to deal with larger prey. Where their ranges overlap with the spotted hyena, brown and striped species' populations are lower, due to competition for food.

What about offspring?
Breeding occurs at any time of the year. Both brown and striped species produce 2 to 4 blind, helpless cubs after a gestation period of 90-92 days. Cubs have similar coloration as adults.

Female striped hyenas have six teats, brown hyena have four. Adults and sub-adults carry food back to the dens for the infants, and brown hyenas are known to nurse unrelated infants. However, spotted hyena do not carry food back to dens, nursing young outside their dens.

What does it eat?
Master scavengers, hyenas are able to consume and digest parts of prey that would remain untouched by other animals. They completely digest organic matter such as bones, while indigestible items such as hooves, horns, ligaments and hair are regurgitated in pellets.

It is thought brown and striped hyenas are mainly scavengers rather that hunters, and a significant portion of their diet consists of insects, small mammals, birds eggs, even fruit and vegetables which are important sources of water.

 

Is it threatened or endangered?
No, but striped hyena are now rare due to hunting and habitat destruction. Populations in North Africa and Arabia are in danger of extinction.