Image Gallery: Hyenas at the Kill

By Stephanie Pappas, Live Science Contributor | March 11, 2011 06:29pm ET

Hyena cuisine

A spotted hyena pulls on a carcass.

Dinner is served

Hyenas tear into a carcass as scavengering birds wait their turn. Hyenas eat almost everything on a carcass, including the bones.

Alert diner

A spotted hyena wearing a radio collar stands at alert over a carcass.

Lone hyena

Spotted hyenas are known for their "laughs," but research shows the hyena giggles are anything but light-hearted. The animals usually make the noise during social conflicts.

Hyena and cub

Hyenas are aggressive, but they know how to cooperate. According to a 2009 study published in the journal Animal Behavior, hyenas are quicker learners than non-human primates when it comes to figuring out how to do a task to get food.

Dig in

A spotted hyena enjoys a meal. Hyena females outrank males and get to eat first.

Author Bio

Stephanie Pappas, Live Science Contributor: Stephanie interned as a science writer at Stanford University Medical School, and also interned at ScienceNow magazine and the Santa Cruz Sentinel. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz.; Stephanie Pappas, Live Science Contributor on

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Hyena cuisine

Credit: Eli M. Swanson

Dinner is served

Credit: Eli M. Swanson

Alert diner

Credit: Eli M. Swanson

Lone hyena

Credit: Eli M. Swanson

Hyena and cub

Credit: Eli M. Swanson

Dig in

Credit: Eli M. Swanson

Image Gallery: Hyenas at the Kill

Hyena cuisine

Dinner is served

Alert diner

Lone hyena

Hyena and cub

Dig in

Hyena cuisine

Dinner is served

Alert diner

Lone hyena

Hyena and cub

Dig in

More Image Galleries