{"id":888,"date":"2016-11-25T11:50:53","date_gmt":"2016-11-25T11:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/natgeokids.com?p=888"},"modified":"2022-10-17T11:51:51","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T11:51:51","slug":"spotted-hyena-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/uk\/discover\/animals\/general-animals\/spotted-hyena-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotted Hyena Facts!"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you think of hyenas, what springs to mind? Scavenging? Cackling cries? Well, it turns out there\u2019s so<\/em> much<\/em> more to these incredible creatures! Find out why with our fab spotted hyena facts<\/strong>…<\/p>\n

\"hyena<\/a><\/p>\n


\nFast spotted hyena facts<\/span><\/h2>\n

Scientific name<\/strong>: Crocuta crocuta
\nFamily<\/strong>: Hyaenidae
\nClassification<\/strong>: Mammal
\nIUCN status<\/strong>: Least Concern
\nLifespan (in wild)<\/strong>: Around 25 years
\nWeight<\/strong>: 50-86kg
\nBody size<\/strong>: Up to 2m
\nTop speed<\/strong>: 65km\/h
\nDiet<\/strong>: Carnivore
\nHabitat<\/strong>: Grassland and savanna
\nRange:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"hyena<\/a><\/p>\n

1)<\/strong> Of our planet\u2019s four different species<\/strong> of hyena, the spotted hyena is the largest and most common.<\/p>\n

2)<\/strong> These amazing animals inhabit savannahs, grasslands, woodlands and forest edges across sub-Saharan Africa<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

3)<\/strong> The spotted hyena\u2019s body can grow to almost 2m<\/strong> long, plus a dark, bushy tail measuring 25-30cm<\/strong> long. Females are heavier than males, and can weigh up to 82kg<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"hyena<\/a><\/p>\n

4)<\/strong> They have a sandy, ginger-coloured coat with black markings on their body and legs. They sport a cool, short mane on their neck and shoulders, too!<\/p>\n

5)<\/strong> Famed scavengers, these cool carnivores<\/strong> have a reputation for eating the leftovers of other predators. But don\u2019t be fooled, they\u2019re\u00a0super-skilled predators <\/strong>themselves! In fact, they hunt and kill most of their food.<\/p>\n

6)<\/strong> Spotted hyenas often hunt in groups<\/strong> and can take down big animals such as wildebeest, antelope, zebras and young hippos. Smaller snacks on their menu include birds, fish, snakes, lizards and insects, too.<\/p>\n

\"hyena<\/a><\/p>\n

7)<\/strong> These guys like to make the most of their meals. Equipped with a super-strong jaw and teeth<\/strong>, they can chomp through every part of their victim, except the horns. Yep, that includes the bones!<\/p>\n

8)<\/strong> Spotted hyenas are social mammals<\/strong> and live in structured groups, called clans<\/strong>, of up to 80 individuals. There\u2019s a strict hierarchy, where females rank higher than males, and the group is led by one powerful alpha female<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

9)<\/strong>\u00a0A Female hyena gives birth to one or two cubs a year, which she nurses in a\u00a0den<\/strong>. As the youngsters grow up, males will often leave to join a different clan, whereas females will remain in the same clan for life.<\/p>\n

\"hyena<\/a><\/p>\n

10)<\/strong> Spotted hyenas are also known as laughing hyenas<\/strong>. Why? Because these highly intelligent creatures communicate with yells, whoops and cackles – some of which can be heard almost 5km away!<\/p>\n

Picture credits
\n<\/span>Spotted hyena emerging from den: Aberson, Dreamstime. Spotted hyena standing: Poeticpenguin, Shutterstock. Two spotted hyenas: Moizhusein, Shutterstock. Spotted hyena staring: Costas Anton Dumitrescu, Shutterstock. Hyena distribution map: National Geographic Maps.<\/h5>\n

What did you make of out spotted hyena facts? Leave a comment below and let us know!<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you think of hyenas, what springs to mind? Scavenging? Cackling cries? Well, it turns out there\u2019s so much more to these incredible creatures! Find out why with our fab spotted hyena facts… Fast spotted hyena facts Scientific name: Crocuta crocuta Family: Hyaenidae Classification: Mammal IUCN status: Least Concern Lifespan (in wild): Around 25 years … Continue reading Spotted Hyena Facts!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[250,1087,248,226,249],"christmas-category":[],"class_list":["post-888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-animals","tag-africa","tag-african-animals","tag-animal-facts","tag-animals","tag-hyena","countries-australia","countries-ireland","countries-new-zealand","countries-south-africa","countries-united-kingdom"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSpotted Hyena Facts! - National Geographic Kids<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Spotted hyena facts for kids: Learn all about these supposed scavengers, with facts about the hyena\u2019s habitat, range, characteristics, behaviour and diet.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/888\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Spotted Hyena Facts! 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