The brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), also known as the strandwolf, is the world’s rarest hyena species. The IUCN assessment identifies it as Near Threatened and reports a mean global population of fewer than 10,000 mature individuals. The evidence panel gives the reviewed source and assessment date.
Read on below for more information about this rare species, including a description, how it compares to other hyena species, where it lives, and what it prefers to eat.
Brown Hyena Stats
- Status: See the evidence panel for the current controlled assessment.
- Known as: Brown hyena, Brown Hyaena
- Population: See the evidence panel for the reviewed IUCN source and assessment date.
- Height: An adult brown hyena at its shoulders can be between 2.3 and 2.6 feet
Description and Size
There is no denying that the brown hyena is not among Nature’s more elegant creatures; not only does it have the large head, muscular shoulders, and sloping hindquarters of its cousins, but it also has a shaggy, untidy brown coat. The long hairs on the neck, shoulders, and back can be raised when the animal is agitated.
The brown hyena has large, pointed ears over a grey-furred face. There is almost no difference in the brown hyena size or appearance between the sexes. However, at a top weight of approximately 94 pounds, the adult males are just several pounds heavier than the adult females.
Brown Hyena vs Spotted Hyena
When comparing the brown hyena vs spotted hyena, you will find a few notable differences. The brown hyena, for example, is smaller than a spotted hyena. They also have pointed ears and a different coat and coloring compared to the brown hyena.
The brown hyena has a longer brown and shaggy coat compared to the spotted coat of a spotted hyena with flat gray fur and dark spots. Spotted hyenas are also considered clan animals and are often dominated by a female hyena.
The female spotted hyenas tend to be bigger, heavier, and stronger than their male counterparts because of their testosterone production.
Spotted hyenas are also extremely territorial and have been known to engage in fights with other clans that can last hours. The females leave the den site to mate with hyenas in neighboring areas, which keeps their gene pool more diverse.
In comparison, the female brown hyena mates with wandering males, which you will learn more about below. Another notable difference between the brown hyena vs spotted hyena is the vocalization each makes.
The spotted hyena is also often called the laughing hyena because its sounds are similar to the maniacal laughter of a human. These giggles or calls, however, are not used by brown hyenas.
Clan Structure
The brown hyena lives in family units called clans, which will consist of up to 6 hyenas on average. The cubs are protected and raised by all members of the clan.
Males never mate with clan females but leave to find females in other clans. Females in a brown hyena clan are impregnated by wandering males, who may or may not join the clan.
After a gestation period of approximately 3 months (about 90 days), a litter of 1 to 5 cubs (usually 2 to 3) is born. The mother cares for them exclusively for several months before leaving the den to rejoin the rest of the clan.
Brown hyenas establish clan territories that they mark with feces and a secretion (paste) from their anal glands. The latter is black and white and is deposited on grass stems at regular intervals to mark the territory’s boundary.
Hunting and Scavenging
As the brown hyena is primarily a scavenger, it has extremely powerful teeth and jaws to crack open bones to access the marrow. These hyenas search for carrion alone because most of their finds are small and scarce but will sometimes form larger groups when a large carcass is available.
In addition to offal, the brown hyena will also eat eggs, birds, fruit, and rodents. Brown hyenas inhabit semiarid regions and deserts as well as open woodlands. Some brown hyenas live on the coast and have access to Cape fur seal pups and carcasses.
These hyenas travel long distances on their nightly excursions for food, covering about 20 miles (32 km) on an average night and sometimes as far as 34 miles (54 km). Their acute sense of smell allows them to detect carrion from kilometers away.
Except for bringing back food for their cubs, brown hyenas do not carry meat back for the rest of the clan.
Habitat
The brown hyena is found in the southern part of Africa, specifically in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Angola. They are the apex predators of the Namib coastal desert, where the Namib population is one of the species’ most important strongholds.
The brown hyena prefers desert areas, semi-desert areas, and open woodland savannahs. They can also survive nearby urban areas by scavenging.
They also navigate toward rocky and mountainous areas where there is plenty of shade and where they don’t have to be as dependent on the availability of local water sources.
During the day, adult brown hyenas will sleep under bushes, trees, and rocks to avoid becoming overheated. Brown hyenas are nocturnal animals, and the adults hunt on their own.
Most brown hyena clans include several hyenas that are actually related to each other. However, the alpha male of the clan typically comes from elsewhere.
When defecating, they use latrine sites located throughout their territory. These locations are often near their den, killing sites, or territorial boundaries. Communication and scent markings are also used in these locations between clan members.
Diet and Nutrition
Since brown hyenas are carnivores and scavengers, they are also considered highly opportunistic feeders. While carrion is the primary food source in their diet, they also catch smaller animals like small mammals, birds, fish, and even insects.
In addition to the meat, they will also include fruit like desert melons or fungi, vegetables, and eggs in their diet.
Mating Habits
We have already covered some of the brown hyena’s mating habits above, but let’s get into more specifics. Their reproductive season is between the months of May and August. The full pregnancy duration for these animals is around 90 days, and they can carry one to five cubs (usually two or three) at a time.
The age the cub becomes more independent is 15 months old. This is when the cub is weaned. They reach maturity between two and three years old. The males often leave the den while the females choose to remain within the clan.
Males often present one of two mating systems: polygynous and polyandrous. In a polygynous system, mating stays within the clan-based system. This happens when the alpha male is a non-relative from another clan and mates with the females in the clan.
The other system occurs when a nomadic male enters the clan’s territory. In this system, female brown hyenas can mate with up to four different males, breeding about every 12 to 41 months.
Conservation Status of the Brown Hyena
The brown hyena is assessed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Persecution and other pressures can affect the species; the evidence panel records the reviewed status, source, and assessment date.
Threats
The appearance and habits of the brown hyaena have made it the target of superstition and disgust. Farmers in the regions where it lives often shoot, trap, or poison it for killing livestock, although it very rarely does so. Besides persecution, the brown hyaena is also used in native rituals and for traditional medicines.
Conservation Efforts
Education of local people has helped to curb the wholesale killing of brown hyaenas. As there are hyaenas that do attack and kill livestock, removing the ‘criminal element’ generally solves the problem. It allows the rest of the hyaenas to survive without persecution.
The range of the brown hyaena extends through several parks and game reserves, which gives the animals a high level of protection.
Organizations
Do you know of or are you a part of an organization that works to conserve the Brown Hyena? Then please contact us to have it featured on Our Endangered World.
Other Hyena Facts You Will Find Interesting
Here are a few other hyena facts you can keep in mind as you learn more about these animals:
- The hyenas pictured in the Lion King were actually spotted hyenas, not brown hyenas. They are also known as Crocuta crocuta and belong to the family of Hyaenidae. Rewatch the movie. You will see that the clan is run by a single alpha-female spotted hyena.
- The brown hyena has the scruffiest appearance out of the three hyena species with its pointed ears and a long shaggy coat
- Hyenas are well-known for their howl because it sounds like a hysterical human laugh. This noise may be the hyena’s way to express excitement or nervousness and is also a sound made when they are on the prowl for food. When they kill their prey, the entire hyena clan can produce this maniacal laughter. However, brown hyenas and striped hyenas don’t have this kind of vocalization. Instead, they use grunts or yips.
- One-third of male brown hyenas are nomads after leaving their birth clan.
- The group name for brown hyenas is either clan or cackle.
Brown Hyena FAQ
We have already learned so much about the brown hyena, but you still may have some questions. Below you will find answers to some of the more commonly asked questions regarding the brown hyena.
What is the conservation status of the brown hyena?
The IUCN Red List assessment shown in the evidence panel identifies the brown hyena as Near Threatened.
How many brown hyenas are there?
The evidence panel cites the reviewed IUCN assessment and its assessment date.
Where do brown hyenas live?
Brown hyenas occur in southern Africa, including arid and semi-arid habitats such as deserts, semi-deserts, and open woodlands.
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