Despite being renowned for being highly effective scavengers, these animals are also extremely active and accomplished predators. They kill their prey by biting chunks out of it while it runs and tearing it apart when it is brought down. They are highly gregarious, living in clans of up to 80 individuals, the core members consisting of the dominant female and successive generations of her daughters and their offspring. There are also resident and immigrant males. There is a well-established dominance hierarchy within each clan, with both females and cubs dominating the males and, once they have been accepted, immigrant males outrank resident males.
Cubs inherit their mother's rank.
Clans are highly territorial and encounters between neighbouring clans can develop into pitched battles. Famed for being creatures of the night, hyaena are predominantly nocturnal and are great wanderers, travelling up to 40km in a night. They are particularly fond of lying in shallow water to cool off and have even been observed diving for submerged carcasses. Breeding Only the highest ranking immigrant male mates with females in oestrus, and following a gestation period of about 110 days, an average of two young are born. The females use dens to raise litters, usually termitaria that have been excavated by antbears.