SPOTTED HYENA Crocuta crocuta

Distribution:

Transvaal, Mocambique, Natal and in the Northern Cape.

Diet:

Tortoises, snakes, birds, termites, hares, large herbivores, fruit and scavanging.

Habitat:

They can be found in a wide variety of habitats from woodland to open plains, to mountainous areas and along some coastal areas.

Habits:

These are gregarious animals and live in groups of a few members up to 60 members.

Hyena who live in more open country will tend to be found in larger groups.

These groups are territorial and will mark and defend their territory.

Have a wide range of vocalisations.

They will greet one another by licking and sniffing the genitals.

They are known to cool off on hot days by lying on water or mud.

They can single handedly bring down adult wildebeest.

Play an important function in keeping the bush clean.

Hyena help vulture by crunching up bone into fragments which the vulture can feed on.

Hyena are also often found wandering around on their own.

They have the most powerful jaw in the mammal class.

They will carry large pieces of a carcass for long distances.

Breeding:

Hyena will give birth to 2 cubs on average after a gestation period of three months.

Cubs can suckle for as long as two years.

Cubs are born with their eyes open and are black or dark brown in colour, developing spots at about two weeks old.

Predators:

Lion will kill Hyena but not for food.

Wild Dog also kill Hyena but not very regularly.

Young Hyena are also killed by adults on the odd occassion.