What Does “A Cackle of Hyenas” Mean?
“Cackle” references the spotted hyena’s famous vocalization, often described as a laugh, though it’s not actually connected to humor or amusement the way it sounds to human ears. Researchers have found this distinctive giggling call is most often produced when a hyena is nervous, excited, or under social pressure, particularly during competitive situations like feeding, where lower-ranking hyenas may cackle while approaching food guarded by more dominant clan members.
Spotted hyenas have a surprisingly large and varied vocal repertoire beyond the cackle, including whoops that can carry for miles to coordinate clan movements or call for backup, and researchers have found that individual hyenas can even be identified by the unique pitch pattern of their whoop. The famous cackle is really a signal of social tension or submission rather than genuine mirth, one of many ways hyenas manage the complex social dynamics within their clan.
Example: “A cackle of hyenas gathered nervously at the edge of the kill, waiting their turn behind the dominant females.”
Related: Collective Nouns for Mammals