Hyaena

Hyaena Temporal range: Pliocene–Present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Striped hyena
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Infraorder:	Viverroidea
Family:	Hyaenidae Gray, 1821
Type genus
Hyaena Brisson, 1762
Genera
Crocuta (olive overlay on map) Hyaena (blue on map) Proteles (magenta red on map) Adcrocuta† Allohyaena† Belbus† Chasmaporthetes† Herpestides† Hyaenictis† Hyaenotherium† Ictitherium† Ikelohyaena† Leecyaena† Lycyaena† Metahyaena† Miohyaenotherium† Palinhyaena† Pachycrocuta† Pliocrocuta† Plioviverrops† Protictitherium† Thalassictis† Tongxinictis† Tungurictis† Werdelinus†

Hyaenas (sometimes Hyenas) are mammals. They are the family Hyaenidae, in the order Carnivora. They live in Africa, and in west and south Asia. In the past they had a much wider distribution. Now there are two subfamilies with four species.

With only four species, it is the fourth-smallest family in the Carnivora, and one of the smallest in the class Mammalia.^[1] Despite their low diversity, hyenas are unique and vital components to most African and some Asian ecosystems.^[2]

Hyaena walk much like bears because their front legs are longer than their back. Except for the aardwolf, hyaenas are known to have one of the world's strongest bites. Its function is to crush bone.

1. ↑ Rosevear D.R. 1974. The carnivores of West Africa. London: British Museum (Natural History), p341–4. ISBN 0565007238
2. ↑ Mills, Gus & Hofer, Heribert 1998. Hyaenas: status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN/SSC Hyena Specialist Group. ISBN 2-8317-0442-1