Both are territorial, defending their clan territory against strange hyenas. In both, some animals, mostly males, live outside clans as nomads. In both, nomadic or immigrant males do most of the mating, not those born in the clan. Both will scavenge dead carcasses, and can crush even large bones. Both give birth in tunnel dens in a communal denning area.
Spotted hyenas dominate brown hyenas.
If they catch a brown hyena alone, they may harass it, sometimes to the point that blood is drawn. But brown hyenas may harass a lone spotted hyena at a kill, and may be able to make it leave sooner than it intended. Most of what brown hyenas eat is carrion, and they depend on other large carnivores that hunt for survival. But they also hunt small mammals and birds if they see opportunities. They even eat vegetables and fruits, such as the Hottentot melon.