Do hyenas really laugh? Spotted hyenas are called laughing hyenas because of the giggling sounds they make. They also make whoops, and a whoop is loud. It can be heard from kilometers away. Some people think a hyena that laughs is happy. In fact, its laugh is not a sign that it is amused. It giggles when it is excited, frustrated or stressed. That can happen when many hyenas want the same food.

Spotted hyenas live in Africa, south of the Sahara desert. They live in groups called clans. Some people think males lead a clan. In fact, female spotted hyenas lead the clan. A hyena cub gets its rank in the clan from its mother. When young male hyenas grow up, they leave and join other clans. Females stay in the clan they were born in. Each clan has a den near the middle of its land, where mothers and cubs stay.

Spotted hyenas live in many kinds of places. These are savannas, semi-deserts, open woodlands and mountain forests. Bigger clans live where there is more food. Smaller clans live in dry desert areas of southern Africa. Hyenas mark their land with scent and calls. A spotted hyena can travel as far as 80 kilometers in a single night.

Hyenas look like big dogs, but they are more closely related to cats. A spotted hyena has a short, rough coat with dark spots. It has a big head and rounded ears. It stands about 2 to 3 feet tall at the shoulder. An adult can weigh up to about 190 pounds (86 kilograms). Female spotted hyenas are often bigger than males. Baby spotted hyenas are called cubs, and they are born almost all black.

Spotted hyenas have strong jaws and sturdy teeth. The teeth are strong enough to crush big bones. For its size, a spotted hyena has one of the strongest bites of any mammal. Hyenas eat meat. Many of their meals are hoofed animals such as wildebeest and zebra. They hunt alone or in small groups of a few hyenas.

Some people think hyenas only eat leftovers from other animals. In fact, spotted hyenas hunt most of their own food, and they also eat food they find. They use almost every part of their food. When they eat animals that are already dead, they help clean up the places where they live. Their keen senses of sight, hearing and smell help them find food.

Words to know

• clan: a hyena group
• whoops: loud calls
• savannas: grassy plains
• cubs: baby hyenas
• hoofed: having hooves