Bone-collecting habits of spotted hyaenas Crocuta crocuta in the Kruger National Park

Abstract

An examination of 18 Crocuta crocuta dens in the Kruger National Park showed that this species can be responsible for bone assemblages at dens, more so at permanent sites such as granite or calcrete caves than at temporarily occupied aardvark holes or road culverts. Because of the facultative nature of food transporting behaviour, the rate at which bones are accumulated at dens varies, ranging from no bones collected to nine food items collected per month. The relative abundance of ungulate species represented in the large assemblages resembles that of ungulates living in the region surrounding a den.