๐ฆ Animal world ๐ Mammals
The hyena
๐ In short
The hyena is an African animal famous for its strange call that sounds like human laughter! It lives on the African plains, and in some Arab countries and Asia. Hyenas hunt animals, and also eat the remains of dead ones, which helps keep nature clean.
๐คฉ Did you know?
- A hyena's front legs are longer than its back legs, so its back looks sloped.
- A hyena can run long distances without getting tired.
- Spotted hyena groups live in underground dens.
- Hyenas talk to their group with many sounds, including the โlaughโ.
๐ Find out more
๐ The spotted hyena
The best-known hyena is the spotted or laughing hyena, with yellowish fur and dark spots. It's a skilled hunter that lives in big groups led by a strong female.
๐ Super-strong jaws
Hyenas have some of the strongest teeth and jaws in the animal world, so they crunch up and eat big bones and leave almost nothing behind.
๐ก The striped hyena
The striped hyena is smaller than the spotted one, with grey fur and black stripes. It lives in North Africa, the Arab world and Asia, and usually comes out at night.
๐ฏ Not a dog or a cat
A hyena looks like a dog, but it's actually closer to the cat and mongoose families!
๐ธ More pictures
๐งฉ Test yourself
1 What is a hyena's call famous for?
2 Who leads a group of spotted hyenas?
3 Which picture shows โThe hyenaโ?
๐ฆ Discover more
๐ท Picture sources: Wikimedia Commons
- Termininja ยท CC BY-SA 4.0
- GalliasM ยท CC0
