They have robust bodies with large heads, powerful jaws, and rounded ears. Their necks are maned, and their backs slope downwards to smaller hind quarters. One hundred eighty pounds is their maximum weight.
Females are larger than males.
The colors of their coats vary but are usually brown, yellow or gray, with numerous dark spots. Sometimes the muzzle and hind legs are black and the foot-long tail has a black tuft. Their external sex organs are so similar in appearance that they all appear to be males. Spotted Hyenas live in Africa south of the Sahara except in densely forested areas and at the southern tip of the continent. They prefer open grasslands and savannas.