Laughing hyena pack. View of a pack of laughing,or spotted,hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). Laughing hyenas are carnivores which live in packs,and cohabit in underground dens. They are common on the plains of southern and eastern Africa. They will eat almost anything,commonly eating carrion,hunting larger herbivores in packs,or taking young animals as soon as they are born. This hyena has a high,braying cry,which has been compared to hysterical laughter,and earned it its common name. They can also utter a piercing howl. Mature adult hyenas can weigh up to 80 kilograms. Photographed in the Masai Mara reserve,Kenya |