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Hyenas

Hyaena

Hyenas (family Hyaenidae) are medium-to-large carnivores found in Africa and parts of southwestern Asia and India. The family contains four living species, each in its own genus: the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), and the termite-eating aardwolf (Proteles cristata). Despite their doglike appearance, hyenas are neither cats nor dogs; they’re classified in their own family and share a more recent ancestry with the cat lineage. Popular portrayals often overemphasize scavenging: while hyenas do scavenge, they also hunt, and in parts of East and southern Africa spotted hyenas kill most of their own food.

Hyenas (family Hyaenidae) are medium-to-large carnivores found in Africa and parts of southwestern Asia and India. The family contains four living species, each in its own genus: the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), and the termite-eating aardwolf (Proteles cristata). Despite their doglike appearance, hyenas are neither cats nor dogs; they’re classified in their own family and share a more recent ancestry with the cat lineage. Popular portrayals often overemphasize scavenging: while hyenas do scavenge, they also hunt, and in parts of East and southern Africa spotted hyenas kill most of their own food.