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Spotted Hyena

Spotted Hyena line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Spotted Hyena full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Spotted Hyena was completed on 10.25.09. While I love and appreciate these unusual animals, my enthusiasm isn't shared by all (I posted this drawing to Facebook where I was told as much!) Regardless, I enjoyed creating this image of this mostly misunderstood African predator. The drawing is based on a photo by V. Ucumari.

Information about the Spotted Hyena:

The Spotted or Laughing Hyena is a carnivorous mammal native to all areas of Africa south of the Sahara (except for the Congo Basin.) They live in large groups or "clans" which can number in the several dozens. While these animals are often derided as cowardly scavengers the fact is that hyenas are fearsome predators and the majority of their food comes from kills they themselves make, usually consisting of large hoofed mammals. They are considered highly intelligent with some studies indicating their social intelligence similar to some primate species.