Hyenas are unique wildlife that doesn’t fit neatly into the dog or cat species categories.
At first glance, their physical traits seem to be an unusual blend of canine and feline features.
So which is it – are hyenas more closely related to dogs or cats? Or do they deserve their own distinct classification in the animal kingdom?
In this article, we’ll unravel the mystery of the hyena’s genetic ties and look at their biological and behavioral characteristics.
Once we dig deeper, you may be surprised to learn how different hyenas are from dogs and cats.
We’ll also answer some common questions about these misunderstood carnivores, like how big they are, whether they can be tamed, and what to do if one happens to chase you!
By the end of this piece, you should have a clearer grasp of hyena classification. Understanding their rightful place in the animal family tree requires more nuance than a simple “dogs or cats?” dichotomy.
We’ll illustrate why labeling them as either undersells just how unique hyenas truly are in the natural world across Africa and parts of Asia.
Time to delve into the distinct traits and lifestyles of nature’s unusual hybrids!
Are Hyenas Dogs or Cats [Canine or Feline]?
At a genetic level, hyenas have more in common with felines than canines, despite their dog-like appearance.
Recent DNA analysis has shown that hyenas evolved from a cat-like ancestor over 20 million years ago. However, evolutionary pressures caused them to develop physical features and behaviors that are quite doggish.
So while hyenas bear similarities to both groups, they are now classified in their own separate biological family called Hyaenidae.
There are four living hyena species – spotted, brown, striped, and aardwolf. Each is unique in size, habitat preferences, social patterns, diet, and physical looks.
Still, they share enough genetics and anatomical traits to warrant being categorized together.
Early naturalists grouped hyenas as canines just by observing their looks and pack lifestyle. But modern biologists have realized you cannot judge a species’ phylogeny by outward features alone.
It turns out the hyena’s bone structure, reproduction, and other physiology align them more closely with Felidae species.
In essence, it’s best to think of hyenas as in their own distinct category – neither cats nor dogs, but bearing bits of both worlds while also boasting plenty of one-of-a-kind characteristics unseen in other creatures.
They are evolutionary anomalies that don’t fit tidily into our human desire to classify animals.
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How Big Are Hyenas?
When envisioning these unique carnivores, you may picture only the spotted hyena which can grow over 5 feet long and weigh up to 190 pounds.
However, hyena species have a high degree of size variation.
The smallest is the aardwolf, a shy insectivore reaching just over 3 feet from head to tail and weighing around 90 pounds at most.
They use their long, sticky tongues to feast on termites and ants. Aardwolves pose no threat to humans and avoid other, larger predators.
On the opposite end, some spotted hyena males can tip the scales at close to 200 pounds.
These largest species live in complex, hierarchical clans and hunt zebra, wildebeest, and other sizable prey in packs.
Spotted hyenas are the most social species and lack significant size differences between males and females.
The striped and brown hyena species fill in the middle ranges. Striped hyenas grow to around 4 feet long and 75-175 pounds.
Brown hyenas reach about the same length but are sleeker with an average weight closer to only 100 pounds for both genders.
These median species forage alone at night instead of running in large packs like their spotted cousins.
So if you round up one of each kind of hyena, you’ll see a range of sizes on display from smallish dog to almost full-grown lion dimensions.
The species may share a common ancestry, but their adult stature can differ greatly depending on whether the hyenas fill the role of insect nibbler, solo scavenger, or the “wolf of the savannah”.
What Are Hyenas Scared of?
Despite their fierce nature, hyenas can fall prey to larger predators at times.
However, different species react with fear towards different threats depending on their size and typical social patterns.
The smallish aardwolves and striped hyenas will nearly always flee rather than fight when facing lions, leopards, hunting dogs, and other larger carnivores.
They know they are no match physically so that flight instinct kicks in.
Surprisingly, the bigger spotted and brown hyenas also demonstrate fear in some risky encounters.
Although they feed on similar antelope, spotted hyenas will scatter and let cheetahs, wild dogs, or leopards take over a fresh kill.
These species pose danger not just from their strength, but due to competition for resources.
The loss of a carcass impacts the entire noisy clan of 35-80 hyenas who share territory duties.
One key difference is that spotted and brown hyenas maintain their bold front against lions mostly due to their advantage in numbers through tight-knit social bonds.
They’ve adapted offensive mobbing techniques when their clan is threatened by harassing lion pride straying too close to their den area.
In general, hyenas appear quite fearless when the odds tilt in their favor either through size parity or packing back up against other solitary predators.
But consistent with most species, they pick their battles carefully – knowing when sticking around puts their next meal and even their lives at risk.
The hyena’s wild expression belies a tactical decision-making process on what should stir that inherent fight or flight response.
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Why Is It Bad to Be a Male Hyena?
You wouldn’t envy the life of a male hyena. Rigid gender roles govern hyena clans, with females dominant over all males.
Adding to the males’ low status, they must endure an excruciating ordeal to even have a chance at mating.
Female spotted hyenas aggressively defend rank by attacking males who step out of line.
Males must submit completely to females to eat, as they have the lowest priority at kills.
Things get even rougher when a male tries to mate with the alpha female of a clan.
Due to extremely high levels of testosterone, male and female genitalia are virtually indistinguishable.
When a male hyena initiates mating, he must achieve an erection and then insert his penis into the female’s pseudo-penis.
This long process takes patience as the female often resists.
If the male succeeds, the female then decides whether to allow him to proceed or abruptly pull away.
This leaves the male’s fully erect penis still extended but no longer engaged in the female’s pseudo-penis.
The internal trauma from this violent event can leave male hyenas injured and unable to mate again for some time.
So in summation, the cards are stacked against the low-ranking male hyena just hoping to pass on his genes without getting harassed, injured, or rejected outright by females.
No wonder the male hyenas appear to spend most of their time resting quietly far from the drama!
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Can You Tame a Hyena?
While hyenas appear fierce, some species are social by nature, leading people to wonder – can hyenas be tamed?
Evidence shows proper socialization can lead captive hyenas to bond strongly with human handlers. However, their wild instincts make them inappropriate and often illegal to keep as pets.
Several facilities allow close public contact with tame spotted hyenas.
Their complex clan structure mirrors wolves, meaning they can view people as “pack” members with proper rearing.
But even well-acclimated hyenas may bite suddenly when spooked or confused.
YouTube is filled with videos of handlers playing, petting, or even napping alongside supposedly tame hyenas.
But experts advise using extreme caution, as one fright or hunger trigger can unlock their engraved prey drive.
Even young hyenas have one of the animal kingdom’s strongest bites – capable of splintering heavy bones.
Their unfamiliar status under the law also creates issues for ownership.
Few areas allow the private keeping of undomesticated carnivores. While curious about human interaction initially, most hyenas ultimately require enclosure space impossible in a typical home.
So while possible to establish a cooperative bond through extensive work, hyenas remain unpredictable wildcards.
Their hardwired tendencies make casualties likely if owners become complacent.
Ultimately, the best way to appreciate hyena temperament and power is by observing them in protected habitats rather than through risky captive taming.
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What To Do If a Hyena Chases You?
Hopefully, you’ll never find yourself face-to-face with a pursuing hyena. But if one ever targets you as potential prey, several strategies could save your life.
Your reaction depends somewhat on whether you’ve encountered a lone nomadic hyena or an entire clan.
A solitary striped or brown hyena may be simply curious or defending a carcass.
In that case, facing the hyena while retreating slowly gives you a chance to escape while helping the hyena feel you don’t pose a threat.
However, running instantly can trigger chase instincts, so move away cautiously.
Spotted hyenas accustomed to communal hunting are most likely to harass humans.
If being chased by multiple hyenas, do not run! Their athletic build allows them to outpace humans, tearing into their prey once exhaustion sets in.
Instead, shout aggressively and gesture vigorously to convince them you aren’t defenseless.
If one latches onto a limb, punching its sensitive nose may surprise it into letting go.
Use sticks or rocks to continue appearing dangerous till you find refuge or the hyenas lose motivation to persist.
A vehicle, large tree, or thick brush creates temporary barriers should the hyenas elect to wait you out.
Remaining calm and projecting dominance combined with a strategic retreat gives you the highest probability of surviving a hyena attack unharmed.
Back away steadily rather than scrambling in a blind panic that feeds into their innate hunting sequence.
Final Thoughts
After reviewing key pieces of evidence on both sides, it’s clear that definitively classifying hyenas as either dogs or cats fails to capture their uniqueness.
Modern taxonomy places them in a distinct biological family – Hyaenidae.
Their evolutionary journey has been one of constant adaptation – retaining only the most advantageous feline and canine traits that aid survival in the hostile African landscape.
This specialized development over 20 million years sets hyenas completely apart from other species.
While their exterior and pack socialization seem dog-like, DNA analysis confirms hyenas arose from a mongoose-like ancestor more closely aligned with cats and weasels.
This underlies deceptive physical elements like their potent bite force exceeding any true canine. Physiologically, the similarities to felines persist.
Behaviorally they occupy their own niche as well – structured clan relations meeting at dens like wolves, but competition and signals of status resembling big cats.
Even reproduction follows its own tortuous path that defies ordering them as either dogs or cats.
The impulse to categorize is natural but proves flawed when assessing species spanning aeons unchanged by domestication.
Hyenas ultimately defy such convenient buckets – blending features and filling roles in the circle of life in ways unmatched by any other creature.
Understanding hyenas requires recognizing evolutionary outliers following their own distinct playbook in nature’s grand design.
FAQs
Are hyenas dangerous?
Yes, hyenas can be dangerous due to their powerful jaws and strong bite. Species like spotted hyenas hunt large prey in packs and see humans as potential targets.
They should not be approached in the wild.
Which country has the most hyenas?
Tanzania likely has the largest overall hyena population between its spotted, striped, and brown variants residing in protected national parks and game reserves.
What did hyenas evolve from?
Hyenas evolved from small, mongoose-like ancestors over 20 million years ago. Genetic evidence shows they are more closely related to felines and weasels than canines.
Are hyenas wild dogs?
No, hyenas are not dogs. They were mistakenly grouped with canines in the past due to physical resemblance, but DNA analysis now classifies them in their own distinct family called Hyaenidae.
Can a male hyena give birth?
No, only female hyenas can give birth. A frequently misunderstood fact is that female hyenas have pseudo-penises and only they give birth through this unusual genitalia.
Can female hyenas mate with other females?
No evidence suggests female hyenas can reproduce together. While their genitals make sex determination difficult, males are still needed to impregnate females during mating rituals for conception to occur.
Resources – (for further reading)
Animal Diversity Web – ADW: Hyaenidae: INFORMATION
Britannica – Hyena | African Mammal, Social Behavior & Adaptations
National Geographic – Spotted Hyena
Brittney , a devoted exotic pet enthusiast, showcases her profound passion for the animals through her role as a veterinary technician. With a strong background in caring for a diverse array of animals, she shares her expertise by crafting engaging articles about exotic pets for our blog.