Hyenas are often pictured as “African savanna dogs,” but they are not canids at all. They form their own family, Hyaenidae, and evolved many dog-like features through convergent evolution—meaning unrelated groups can end up looking similar because they adapt to comparable lifestyles. Today, there are only four living hyena species: the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), and the aardwolf (Proteles cristata). This article explains how hyenas are classified and how each species differs in diet, behavior, and habitat.
Hyena Taxonomy: Are Hyenas Related to Dogs or Cats?
Hyenas have long legs, a robust body, a long muzzle, and upright ears—traits that can make them look dog-like at first glance. However, hyenas are feliform carnivores (the cat-like branch of Carnivora), meaning they are more closely related to cats and mongooses than to wolves or dogs.
Basic classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Hyaenidae
Across the family, several traits are common: many species use anal glands for scent-marking, most are at least partly nocturnal, and their social systems can be surprisingly complex. Modern hyenas are often grouped by feeding style: three are bone-cracking hyenas, and one is specialized for insects.
1) Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)
Quick ID
Coat: tan to brown with dark spots (pattern can vary by region)
Build: extremely robust, almost bear-like compared with other hyenas
Ears: small and rounded
Body length: about 90–160 cm
Range and habitat
Spotted hyenas live across central and southern Africa and are often described as one of the most common large carnivores in many African ecosystems.
Diet and ecological role
This is a classic bone-cracking hyena. Spotted hyenas hunt ungulates, scavenge, and also practice opportunism—sometimes stealing meals from other predators. Their digestive system can process parts of carcasses other animals leave behind, including bones, which makes them vital “cleanup crews” that help reduce waste and recycle nutrients.
Social life and the “laugh”
Spotted hyenas are highly social, living in complex groups with strict hierarchies and competitive roles. Their famous “laugh” is not a single sound—it’s a wide set of vocalizations used for communication, including signals of submission, aggression, territorial tensions, and situations where an individual feels chased or threatened.
2) Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena)
Quick ID
Coat: grayish and dense with clear black stripes
Posture: often looks hunched due to body shape and leg proportions
Body length: about 80–130 cm
Range
The striped hyena has the widest geographic range of any hyena, occurring in parts of Africa and extending into the Middle East and India.
Diet and behavior
It is primarily a scavenger, though it can hunt when opportunities arise. It often targets ungulate carcasses and feeds on what many predators leave behind—ligaments, marrow, and other tough remains. Its teeth are powerful enough to crush bones into fragments for swallowing. When food is plentiful, it may also eat fruits or even insects such as grasshoppers.
Social structure
Striped hyenas are mostly solitary. If they form groups, they are usually very small—often just one or two individuals.
3) Brown Hyena (Parahyaena brunnea)
Quick ID
Coat: long, straight hair; dark brown overall
Body length: about 130–160 cm
Range and habitat
The brown hyena is most associated with southern Africa, including savannas and desert regions.
Feeding strategy
Unlike the spotted hyena, the brown hyena is described primarily as a scavenger rather than an active hunter. It feeds on carrion and may supplement its diet with small mammals (such as rodents), insects, or fruit. It may also practice kleptoparasitism—stealing food from other predators. When doing so, it can be surprisingly bold and aggressive, even confronting formidable hunters in harsh environments.
Conservation notes
This species is often considered near threatened in parts of its range. One key challenge is human persecution when it is wrongly assumed to be a major threat to livestock. In reality, brown hyenas provide an important service by removing carcasses that would otherwise accumulate and affect ecosystem health.
4) Aardwolf (Proteles cristata)
Also called: “earth wolf”
The aardwolf is the only insect-specialist hyena. Instead of cracking bones, it feeds mainly on termites and insect larvae.
Quick ID
Coat: yellow-brown to grayish with a few horizontal black stripes
Muzzle: often shows a contrasting dark/black face
Mane: a short, darker ridge along the back
Tail: bushy and dark, often black
Body length: about 50–90 cm (smallest hyena)
Special adaptations
Because it eats termites, the aardwolf has reduced molars and a long, sticky tongue designed for licking insects off the ground. Another detail that helps distinguish it from bone-cracking hyenas is its toe count: the hind feet are often described as having five toes, while the front feet have four.
Range and behavior
Aardwolves live in grasslands of southern Africa and parts of eastern Africa. They are typically solitary and most active at night.
Hyenas at a Glance: Bone-Crackers vs Insect-Eaters
Bone-cracking hyenas: Spotted hyena, Striped hyena, Brown hyena
Insect specialist: Aardwolf
