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Hyenas or hyaenas (/ h aɪ ˈ iː n ə z / hi-EE-nəz; from Ancient Greek ὕαινα, hýaina) are feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the family Hyaenidae / h aɪ ˈ ɛ n ɪ d iː /. 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.
Learn about hyenas, the doglike scavengers and hunters that live in Africa and Asia. Find out their characteristics, behavior, diet, and threats from Britannica.
Apr 21, 2022 · Learn about hyenas, the intelligent and social animals that are often mistaken for dogs. Find out their habitat, diet, size, lifespan, hunting skills, and behavior in this comprehensive guide.
- Hyenas are a fascinating species of animal that look quite unique. They have a tawny coat of fur, which is often spotted or stripped, and a mane th...
- Yes! All in all, there are four distinctive species of hyenas namely, the striked gold hyena, the spotted hyena, the aardwolf and the brown hyena...
- According to the latest research, it appears that female hyenas are the dominant members of their pack. Male hyenas may be larger and stronger than...
- Hyenas are considered one of the most intelligent carnivores, and they have a very complex social structure. Their brains are about the size of tho...
- Spotted hyenas can run up to 43 mph (70 km/h), making them one of the fastest mammals in Africa. They are able to reach these speeds by utilizing t...
Learn about hyenas, Africa's most common large carnivores, and their challenges, solutions, behaviors, and habitats. Find out how AWF works to protect hyenas and their ecosystems from human-wildlife conflict and poaching.
- Savannah, woodland, scrub, bush
- Africa, Middle East, Asia
- 12 years in captivity
- Below 1m (3.3ft) tall, 1.7m (5.6ft) long
- There are dog-like and cat-like hyenas. A really long time ago, hyenas split into two groups. One branch evolved to be like dogs, and the other grew to look a bit more like cats, at least in the formation of their jaw.
- They’re bone crushers. As we mentioned, the dog-like hyenas went one way, and the cat-like hyenas another. The latter developed a useful survival tactic that may have helped them survive: they evolved to crush and eat bone.
- There was once a 200kg hyena that could crush elephant bones. One of these hyenas was an absolute monster. Pachycrocuta brevirostris, a giant hyena, and the largest bone-crusher ever known, evolved alongside early humans, and competed for the same food source.
- Their poo is white. Because of their incredible ability to digest basically everything, all that’s left in their waste is the calcium from all the bone they eat.
May 29, 2019 · Learn how hyenas are complex creatures that defy stereotypes and challenge our understanding of biology, gender and social structure. Discover their unique features, behaviors and adaptations, from their gender-bending genitals to their matriarchal clans.
Jun 10, 2016 · Spotted hyenas have a little bit larger range and live south of the Sahara Desert. They occur throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and are the most numerous large predators in the Serengeti. The...
