Brown hyena - Middle Africa Desert Scavengers

Brown hyena - Hyaena brunnea
By Chris Reavill

Habitat
Hyaena brunnea inhabit an arid habitat, consisting mainly of "open scrub, woodland savannah, grassland, and semi-desert" (Nowak 1999). Along coastal areas of their range they are often found scavenging along beaches. (Nowak 1999)

Food Habits
Hyaena brunnea, like most other members of the Hyaenidae, have massive jaws and well developed molars and premolars specialized for crushing bone. The brown hyena is mainly a scavenger, feeding upon carcasses of large herbivores killed by other animals. Their jaw and dentary adaptations allow them to break open the long bones of these large animals and feed on the marrow inside. Along coastal areas of their habitat, H. brunnea often feed on carcasses of seals as well as other smaller marine animals. In addition to being a scavenger, H. brunnea hunt and eat a wide variety of smaller mammals and reptiles. Brown hyenas may also consume fruits and mushrooms for their high water content, making them less dependent upon fresh water than other members of their family. (Mills 1982, Grzimek 1990)

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