Range

Striped hyenas have the largest range of any hyena species. Their range takes in parts of Asia, the middle East and Africa.

Here they can be found throughout the following countries – Afghanistan; Algeria; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Chad; Djibouti; Egypt; Ethiopia; Georgia; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Jordan; Kenya; Lebanon; Libya; Mali; Mauritania; Morocco; Nepal; Niger; Nigeria; Oman; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Uzbekistan; Western Sahara and Yemen.

Their current presence in the following countries is uncertain – Benin; Central African Republic; Eritrea; Guinea; Kuwait; Qatar; Somalia; Sudan; United Arab Emirates.

Habitat

Due to their wide range they inhabit a number of different habitats. These include light thorn bush country, scrub woodlands, savannas, grasslands, oak forests and semi-arid environments.

They will come close to human habitations and feed on garbage and carrion.

Reproduction

Their breeding does not follow a set pattern. These animals are polygamous and both genders have multiple partners.

Females give birth to their young in a den or burrow. Here they can have between one and four pups. These pups are born after a 88 to 92 day gestation period. At birth the young are blind with the eyes opening at one day old.

By 30 days old they will first try meat though the mother may provide milk for up to a year while they learn how to hunt.

The female will tolerate them for up to two years before she will send them off on their own.

Sexual maturity is reached between two and three years old.

Behavior

These animals are almost strictly nocturnal emerging at night to find food.

Small groups of striped hyenas may form in which the females are the most dominant individuals meaning there is not one than more female in each group.

During the day the group will rest in a natural cave or a burrow they have dug. They may take over the den of another animal.

Striped hyenas have a small set of calls which includes a whine, giggle, yell, growl or call.

Predators and Threats

Lions are one of the main natural predators for the striped hyena.

These animals are affected by declines in the numbers of other large carnivores such as the wolf, cheetah, leopard, lion or tiger as this decreases the amount of carrion available for them to consume.

Humans also impact their population through poisoning and trade in their skins and body parts. They may be turned in to traditional medicines. Some also face retaliatory killings after they kill livestock.

Small numbers of these animals are kept as pets in parts of their range.

Quick facts

The closest relatives of the hyena are the mongoose and meerkats.