Image Gallery: Hyenas at the Kill

Hyena cuisine

Hyena and carcass — (Image credit: Eli M. Swanson)

A spotted hyena pulls on a carcass.

Dinner is served

hyenas and carcass — (Image credit: Eli M. Swanson)

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

Alert diner

Hyena meal — (Image credit: Eli M. Swanson)

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

hyena cub — (Image credit: Eli M. Swanson)

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.

Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.