Peter Ferdinando
Michael Logan
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Hyenas or hyaenas ( ⫽ haɪˈiːnəz ⫽ hi-EE-nəz; from Ancient Greek ὕαινα, hýaina) [1] are feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the family Hyaenidae ( ⫽ haɪˈɛnɪdiː ⫽ ). With just four extant species (each in its own genus ), it is the fourth-smallest family in the order Carnivora and one of the smallest in the class Mammalia. [2] .
Jun 27, 2024 · Learn about hyenas, the doglike mammals that scavenge and hunt in Africa and Asia. Find out their characteristics, behavior, adaptations, and threats.
Learn about the four species of hyenas, their distinctive features, social structure, and diet. Find out how hyenas communicate, cooperate, and interact with humans and other predators.
Learn about hyenas, the ancient predators that have survived for millions of years and evolved to crush bones and eat termites. Discover their different species, habitats, behaviors, and interesting adaptations in this comprehensive guide.
- Savannah, woodland, scrub, bush
- Africa, Middle East, Asia
- 12 years in captivity
- Below 1m (3.3ft) tall, 1.7m (5.6ft) long
- They are adept hunters. One of the longest standing false accusations against the spotted hyena is that they are purely scavengers. Particularly that they steal most of their food from lions.
- They are great mothers. When thinking of nature’s great mothers, a gorilla nestling her young baby in her arms or a cat nursing her kittens may come to mind; usually not a spotted hyena.
- They are amazingly intelligent. Often cast as being foolish and dull, perhaps due to the misunderstanding of their laugh or giggle vocalization, spotted hyenas show shocking signs of intelligence that rivals most wild animals in Africa.
- They can count. Studies have shown that spotted hyenas can determine the number of other hyenas in a rival clan and decide their best course of action.
Learn about hyenas, Africa's most common large carnivores, and their challenges, solutions, behaviors, and habitats. Find out how AWF works to protect hyenas from human-wildlife conflict and poaching.
Jun 10, 2016 · The spotted hyena is the largest species, and it grows to 4 to 5.9 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters) long and 2.5 to 2.6 feet (77 to 81 centimeters) tall from paw to shoulder. They weigh 88 to 190 lbs....
