Hyenas range in size from medium to large, and weigh anywhere from 10 to 80 kg. Each species has a distinctive coat, and all hyenas, except for the aardwolf, have massive jaws and large bone crushing teeth. A distinguishing feature of the hyena is the difference in length between the front and rear limbs, which gives them the appearance of always running uphill. In some species of hyena the females have reproductive organs that are incredibly similar to those of males, thereby making them hard to distinguish visually from males. A hyena's lair or den is usually found in the abandoned burrows of other animals, caves or thick brush.
Clans usually defend a territory, which contains the foraging and denning areas.
Some clans do not have fixed territories, but follow migratory prey such as wildebeest. Other clans are migratory for parts of the year but have fixed territories for the rest of the year. A group of hyenas is called a clan, and these clans are centered around females, which are dominant and larger than males. The average clan consists of 10 to 12 females. Female hyenas generally stay with the clan they where born into, while males leave the clan when they become sexually mature.