DOI: 10.5061/dryad.9zw3r22sv
title: Stable social structure of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) during the dry and wet season in Central Tuli, Botswana

description: Group-living animals often exhibit dynamic social structures, with
 fission-fusion behavior enabling adaptive responses to environmental
 changes. Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are large carnivores with
 complex social dynamics influenced by intrinsic factors, such as rank and
 kinship, and extrinsic factors, such as prey availability. While seasonal
 dynamics in spotted hyena fission-fusion behavior have been studied in
 East Africa, seasonal dynamics in social structures in Southern Africa,
 where prey availability is more stable over time, remains unclear. This
 study examines seasonal changes in the social networks and territorial
 boundaries of spotted hyenas in Central Tuli, Botswana. Using a year-long
 camera trap survey, we identified individuals based on unique spot
 patterns and constructed social networks for the wet and dry season. We
 identified three distinct hyena clans with stable territories, with minor
 shifts in spatial distribution across seasons. Our findings demonstrate
 that social structure of hyena clans are stable across seasons in Central
 Tuli possibly due to consistently high prey availability, contrasting with
 regions experiencing greater seasonal resource fluctuations. These results
 underscore the role of prey availability in shaping the social ecology of
 spotted hyenas and highlight the utility of SNA in understanding the
 temporal and spatial dynamics of group-living animals with fission-fusion
 behavior.
description: # Stable social structure of spotted hyenas during the dry and wet season
 in Central Tuli, Botswana ### Dataset Overview This dataset accompanies
 the manuscript titled: "Stable social structure of spotted hyenas
 (*Crocuta crocuta*) during the dry and wet season in Central Tuli,
 Botswana" Authors: Atze van der Goot, Sander Vissia, Frank van
 Langevelde, Richard Mazebedi The dataset contains observational, spatial,
 and network-derived data used to examine seasonal changes in the social
 networks and territorial boundaries of spotted hyenas in Central Tuli,
 Botswana. ### Study Details Species: *Crocuta crocuta* (Spotted Hyena)
 Study area: Central Tuli Block, Botswana Study period: April 1, 2021 –
 March 31, 2022 Methods: * Individual hyenas were identified by unique spot
 patterns from camera trap imagery. * Associations were defined by
 co-occurrence within a 15-minute interval at the same camera trap. *
 Community structure was identified using the Louvain clustering algorithm.
 * Clan territories were inferred using convex hulls in QGIS based on
 observed locations. ### Data Files and Variable Definitions 1.
 raw_camera_trap_data.csv * Camera: Integer ID of the camera trap (1–37) *
 Date: Date of observation (MM/DD/YYYY) * Time: Time of observation
 (HH:MM:SS, 24h format) * Hyena ID: Unique individual ID (e.g.
 "2", "20", "new2") * Season: "Wet"
 or "Dry", based on the observation month * Associating:
 "Yes" if the individual was seen with others within 15 minutes;
 "No" otherwise 2. adjacency_matrix_wet.xlsx /
 adjacency_matrix_dry.xlsx * Square matrix with hyena IDs in rows and
 columns * Cell values: Number of co-occurrences between individuals (or
 self for solo sightings) 3. hyena_communities_wet.csv /
 hyena_communities_dry.csv * Camera: Camera ID * Date: Date of detection *
 Time: Time of detection * Hyena ID: Individual ID * Community: Cluster
 (clan) assignment from Louvain community detection. **Note**: Empty cells
 in this column indicate individuals who could not be assigned to a
 community, either due to isolation in the network or insufficient
 interaction data for that season. 1. camera_trap_locations.xlsx * Camera:
 Camera ID * Latitude: Decimal degrees (WGS 84) * Longitude: Decimal
 degrees (WGS 84) 2. QGIS_project.qgz * QGIS project displaying territories
 and locations of clans 3. dry_season_clan_locations.geojson * Clan
 presence data (dry season) per camera location 4. clan_territories.gpkg *
 Convex hull polygons representing clan territories (wet and dry seasons)
 ### Software & Code Information R version: 4.3.1 R packages used: *
 igraph (1.5.1): network construction and analysis * readxl (1.4.3): read
 Excel files * dplyr (1.1.4), tidyr (1.3.1): data wrangling * ggplot2
 (3.4.4): visualization * reshape2 (1.4.4): data transformation * DT
 (0.32): interactive table display Included scripts: * dry_season.R:
 Constructs and visualizes the dry season social network * wet_season.R:
 Constructs and visualizes the wet season social network *
 Centrality_clans_ratio.R: Computes proportional strength centrality and
 compares seasonal patterns Scripts calculate centrality, generate
 community membership, and perform Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. #### Species
 Conservation Consideration The species observed in this dataset, *Crocuta
 crocuta* (spotted hyena), is listed as 'Least Concern' on the
 IUCN Red List (as of the 2016 assessment). Based on field observations and
 expert consultation in the Central Tuli region of Botswana during the
 study period (April 2021 – March 2022), there is no indication of
 population decline or elevated threat levels that would suggest a change
 in conservation status. The species remains relatively common in this
 region, and there is no evidence that publishing precise geographic
 coordinates would pose a conservation risk. We are confident that sharing
 location data in this context will not negatively impact the species. ####
 Licensing and Citation License: CC0 1.0 Universal (Public Domain
 Dedication) Citation: van der Goot, A., Vissia, S., van Langevelde, F.,
 & Mazebedi, R. (2025). Stable social structure of spotted hyenas
 (Crocuta crocuta) during the dry and wet season in Central Tuli, Botswana.
 Dryad Digital Repository. DOI:10.5061/dryad.9zw3r22sv Contact For
 questions about the data, contact: Atze van der Goot