Are Hyenas Cats or Dogs?

Hyenas are wild animals that are found throughout the jungle in Africa. You might be wondering if hyenas are cats or dogs due to their appearance.

In this article, we will answer that question and also present some similarities and differences to support our answer.

Hyena Profile

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Suborder: Feliformia

Superfamily: Herpestoidea

Family: Hyaenidae

Are Hyenas Cats or Dogs?

Hyenas are not members of the dog or cat families. Dogs are members of the Canidae family; cats are members of the Felidae family, and hyenas belong to the Hyaenidae family.

Four types of hyenas fall under the Hyaenidae family. They are spotted hyena, brown hyena, aardwolf, and striped hyena.

Are Hyenas Closer to Cats or Dogs?

Hyenas are more closely related to cats than dogs. Hyenas and cats are members of the same suborder, Feliformia, while dogs belong to a different suborder, Caniformia.

Although hyenas and cats are within the same suborder, they are members of different families: Felidae and Hyaenidae.

Also, note that hyenas are more behaviourally and morphologically similar to dogs than cats. This can be observed with the non-arboreal, cursorial hunting behaviour of both animals. Both hyenas and dogs catch prey with their teeth rather than claws, and this is different for cats as they catch prey with their claws.

Hyenas and dogs both have large, blunt, nonretractable claws that are used for running and making sharp turns.

Although hyenas are not dogs or cats, they share some similarities and a few differences.

Similarities Between Hyenas and Cats

• Hyenas and cats have the same self-grooming habits and parental behaviours.
• Both hyenas and cats have the same scent-marking behaviour. They can pee and also poop around a location to mark their territory.

Similarities Between Hyenas and Dogs

• Both hyenas and dogs have sharp night vision, which they use to move around and hunt at night.
• Hyenas and dogs eat their food quickly and also tend to store it for later.
• They both have sharp, nonretractable claws that help them run and turn while running.
• Both of these animals are more likely to catch prey with their teeth rather than claws.
• They have similar dentition.

As you can see, hyenas, dogs, and cats have a few similarities. These few similar traits do not make hyenas belong to either the cat or dog group.

Difference Between Hyenas, Dogs, and Cats

• Hyenas are known for their eerie laughs, which are uncommon in dogs and cats.
• Hyenas secrete an odour that smells like boiling cheap soap or burning.

Habitat and Diet of Hyenas

Most of the hyena population is located in Africa. They are also found across the Middle East and India.

They thrive in regions with semideserts and savannas. These regions are ideal for their survival due to the presence of large prey.

Hyenas have a unique physical appearance, with the most noticeable being their high forelegs and very short hind legs that make their backs look like a downward slope.

They have powerful jaws and strong teeth that they use to hunt. As opposed to popular beliefs of hyenas being scavengers, they are also skilled hunters.

Each hyena species has their unique feeding behaviours. The striped hyenas are primarily scavengers but will also attack and overcome smaller prey.

The spotted hyena, the most common of the Hyaenidae family, are active pack hunter of medium to large-sized animals. They have developed a unique strategy that works by wearing their prey down in long chases and then moving in to finish them off.

The aardwolf is mostly an insectivore. Their diet consists of termites.

Since hyenas are highly social animals, especially the spotted hyena, a clan can consist of 80 members with hierarchies and roles.

What Experts Are Saying?

According to an answer by Ned Place, an expert in Veterinary Science from Cornell University, hyenas are more closely related to cats than dogs.

Ned stated that while hyenas, cats, and dogs are mammals belonging to the class Mammalia and carnivores belonging to the order Carnivora, hyenas and cats belong to the same suborder Feliformia. This makes dogs entirely different because they have a different suborder Caniformia.

Other experts who have presented similar answers are Darrell Ricke, an expert in Genomics, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Genetics, and Molecular Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Sarah Benhaiem, an expert in Ecology, Ethology, and Evolutionary Biology from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research.

Conclusion

Hyenas are unique animals that have their own family. In this article, we have answered the question, “Are hyenas dogs or cats? And also provided sufficient information to back this answer.

In summary, hyenas are not cats or dogs. They are unique animals that have their own family, the Hyaenidae, which consists of the striped hyena, the ‘giggly’ spotted hyena, the aardwolf, and the brown hyena.

While hyenas share more genetic similarities with cats, they also have many dog-like traits.

FAQs

Are hyenas related to dogs or cats?

Hyenas do not belong to the dog or cat families, but they are closely related to cats, mongooses, viverrids, and the African palm civet.

Are hyenas dangerous to humans?

Hyenas tend to avoid humans at all times, but they can be dangerous if threatened or provoked. They have powerful jaws and sharp claws, which can harm humans.

Do all hyenas laugh?

Not all hyenas laugh. The “laughing” is specific to the spotted hyena, and it is a form of social communication.