Spotted hyena: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the spotted hyena lives – recorded in 12 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Crocuta crocuta
Group	Hyenas & aardwolf
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	12 countries
Continents	Africa
Diet (main food)	ungulate, carrion
Class	Mammal
Order	Carnivora
Family	Hyaenidae

Where does the spotted hyena live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the spotted hyena in 12 countries and territories across Africa. Wikidata gives its range as: Campo Verde.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What does a spotted hyena eat?

Wikidata lists the main food source of the spotted hyena as: ungulate, carrion.

Is the spotted hyena endangered?

The spotted hyena’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the spotted hyena?

The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is a mammal in the order Carnivora and the family Hyaenidae, genus Crocuta. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the spotted hyena

The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus Crocuta, native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUCN due to its widespread range and large numbers estimated between 27,000 and 47,000 individuals. The species is, however, experiencing declines outside of protected areas due to habitat loss and poaching. Populations of Crocuta, usually considered a subspecies of Crocuta crocuta, known as cave hyenas, roamed across Eurasia for at least one million years until the end of the Late Pleistocene. The spotted hyena is the largest extant member of the Hyaenidae, and is further physically distinguished from other species by its vaguely bear-like build, rounded ears, less prominent mane, spotted pelt, more dual-purposed dentition, fewer nipples, and pseudo-penis. It is the only placental mammalian species where females have a pseudo-penis and lack an external vaginal opening.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Spotted hyena (revision 1380896845), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q178089 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).