Mammals · Carnivora · Hyaenidae
Striped Hyaena
Hyaena hyaena
Near Threatened
It could become threatened in the near future if current threats go unchecked.
The striped hyena is the most widely distributed hyena and the only one that reaches Asia, from the Caucasus and Turkey to India. It is smaller than the spotted hyena and far more unobtrusive: solitary, nocturnal and mainly a scavenger. Its jaws and premolars are adapted to crushing bones that no other predator can use, which makes it a keystone in the recycling of organic matter in arid ecosystems. It suffers direct persecution and poisoning over much of its range.
Weight
25 kg – 45 kg
Size
1 m – 1.2 m
Life expectancy
12 years
