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895 Featured Specimen
Brown hyena

Details

Brown hyena

Parahyaena brunnea

Size
1.3–1.6 m · 34–72 kg
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Sociality
Social
Lifespan

Brown hyena is a mammal associated with deserts and savannas. It is carnivorous and social. Decline or fragmentation makes continued monitoring important.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
AfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropical

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

Its range is represented here by the Afrotropics, where it uses deserts and savannas. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.

Appearance

Typical length 130-160 cm, weight 34 kg-72 kg. It has a long-bodied carnivore profile, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.

Behavior

It is mostly active at night and social. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.

Feeding

It is carnivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in deserts and savannas, so movements often follow available food resources.

Reproduction

As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.

Notes

Recorded scientifically as Parahyaena brunnea. Decline or fragmentation makes continued monitoring important. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.