Image Gallery: Hyenas at the Kill

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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 hyena

(Image credit: Eli M. Swanson)

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

hyena and carcass

(Image credit: Eli M. Swanson)

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

Stephanie Pappas
Stephanie Pappas
Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science. She covers the world of human and animal behavior, as well as paleontology and other science topics. Stephanie has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has ducked under a glacier in Switzerland and poked hot lava with a stick in Hawaii. Stephanie hails from East Tennessee, the global center for salamander diversity. Follow Stephanie on Google+.