Engraving of a spotted hyena by Felix de Azara
Date 1839
Source The natural history of dogs : canidae or genus canis of authors ; including also the genera hyaena and proteles
Author Charles Hamilton Smith, 1776-1859
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Azara_spotted_hyena.png

The spotted hyena or laughing hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is a species of hyena, currently classed as the sole member of the genus Crocuta, native to Sub-Saharan Africa. Its current distribution is patchy in many places, especially in West Africa. There is a continuous distribution over large areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia and the Transvaal Lowveld areas of South Africa.