The fur is short and scant, sometimes so sparse that the blackish skin is plainly visible. The ears are long, rounded, and covered with short hairs. The legs are long and slender, and there are only four toes on each foot. The jaws are broad and powerful. Lycaon has a strong, musky odor.
Hunts take place in the morning and early evening.
Their investigation indicated this distance to be about the maximum that Lycaon would usually follow before giving up. In all but 1 of the latter cases, the quarry was killed within five minutes of being caught. Groups of Lycaon generally cooperate in hunting large mammals, but individuals sometimes pursue hares, rodents, or other small animals. From 1970 to 1977, population density in the Serengeti declined from one adult Lycaon per 35 sq km to one per 200 sq km. This sexual proportion is unlike the usual condition in social mammals.