Details
Hyaena hyaena
The striped hyena is a dry-country carnivore with dark stripes and a raised mane. At night it ranges widely in search of carrion and small prey.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It occurs across North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of the Indian subcontinent. Dry grassland, savanna, semi-desert, scrub, caves, and old burrows are used.
Length 85-130 cm; weight 22-55 kg. Grey fur is crossed by dark stripes, and a long dorsal mane can be raised to appear larger. Long forelegs give the back a sloping profile.
Nocturnal and mostly solitary, it moves cautiously through open terrain. When threatened it raises the mane and withdraws in a low posture.
A carnivore, it eats carrion, small to medium animals, bones, and sometimes fruit. Strong jaws crack bones and help it use sparse food resources.
Females give birth in dens and nurse the cubs for an extended period. Young grow in dark shelter before exploring nearby ground and learning food sources.
It is listed as Near Threatened. Persecution, road mortality, and reduced food resources are pressures, though it plays an important scavenging role.
