Mammals · Carnivora · Hyaenidae

Brown Hyena

Parahyaena brunnea

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The brown hyaena is a carnivorous mammal of the family Hyaenidae that lives in the deserts of the Kalahari and Namibia, in southern Africa. It is smaller than the spotted hyaena and, unlike it, feeds mainly on carrion. It is the largest land animal to obtain most of its food from carrion. Because food is scarce in the desert, the brown hyaena supplements its diet with fruit.

Weight

28 kg – 47 kg

Size

1.1 m – 1.4 m

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

SavannaDesertOceanGrasslandCarnivore Nocturnal Near Threatened Savanna Desert Ocean Grassland Mammal

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Fun facts

GeneralAlmost purely a scavenger; on the Skeleton Coast it feeds on seal pups.
On the Namib coast it is known as the strandwolf: it walks the tideline looking for the carcasses of seals and stranded fish, a dependable food source in one of the driest deserts in the world.
It can cover more than fifty kilometres in a single night looking for carrion, then return to the communal den where several females of the clan suckle the cubs indiscriminately.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Desert, semi-desert and arid savannah; the Namib coast
Sexual maturity: 2.5 years
Gestation / incubation: 3 months
Litter / clutch size: 3

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parahyaena_brunnea