# Striped hyena (*Hyaena hyaena*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/striped-hyena  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), also called the Striped hyaena, is a mammal in the family Hyaenidae and the order Carnivora. It is a large, terrestrial, nocturnal scavenger whose main food is carrion. Adult body mass ranges from 25 to 55 kg, with a representative value of 41.71 kg. Gestation lasts from 90 to 92 days, and the IUCN Red List lists the species as Near Threatened, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 25 kg – 55 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 24 years |
| Diet | Scavenger |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 25 years |
| Main food | carrion |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 90 days – 92 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2.4 – 2.5 |
| Age at maturity | 2.19 years – 2.34 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1.36 |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Hyaenidae
- genus: Hyaena
- species: *Hyaena hyaena* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Canis hyaena*, *Hyaena hyaena barbara*, *Hyaena hyaena hyaena*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the striped hyena?

The striped hyena is a mammal in the family Hyaenidae, order Carnivora. It is a large, terrestrial scavenger.

### How heavy is a striped hyena?

Adult Striped hyenas weigh from 25 to 55 kg, with a representative body mass of 41.71 kg.

### What does the striped hyena eat?

The striped hyena is a scavenger whose main food is carrion.

### Is the striped hyena endangered?

No. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a striped hyena live?

Sources give a lifespan of 24 years for the striped hyena, with values up to 25 years.

### How many young does a striped hyena have?

The representative litter size is 2.5 young, with 1.36 litters per year, after a gestation of 90 to 92 days.

### Who named the striped hyena?

The scientific name Hyaena hyaena is credited to (Linnaeus, 1758).

### Is the striped hyena nocturnal?

Yes. The striped hyena is nocturnal.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/striped-hyena