Two spotted hyenas engage in coalitionary aggression against a third. Coalitions such as this one usually reinforce, but occasionally disrupt, the social hierarchy. Image Credit: Kate Yoshida Share ...

Spotted hyenas are often portrayed in popular culture as chaotic scavengers ruled by aggressive females, yet decades of field research show that their social system is highly structured and stable.

While spotted hyenas know the value of living together in large, cooperative societies, they also realize that venturing on their own now and then to hunt for food is often the key to their survival.

In some monarchies, inherited power offers a ladder that can be ascended to absolute authority—be it through diplomacy, ruthlessness, or the passing of time. But in hyena monarchies, inherited power ...

For the past two decades, Kay E. Holekamp has been chronicling the lives of spotted hyenas on the savannas of southern Kenya. She has watched cubs emerge from their dens and take their place in the ...

On quiet nights across large swaths of the African bush, you may hear a series of whooping calls in the distance. This unique sound is the long-distance vocalisation used by spotted hyenas (Crocuta ...

Spotted hyenas giggling over an antelope spine. Courtesy BMC Ecology. For spotted hyenas, a laugh can speak volumes about an individual. Despite being portrayed as stupid scavengers who rely on the ...

Two spotted hyenas engage in coalitionary aggression against a third. Coalitions such as this one usually reinforce, but occasionally disrupt, the social hierarchy. Image Credit: Kate Yoshida Share ...