Thick-billed Euphonia (Euphonia laniirostris). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive.
No dogs here! Hyenas are not members of the dog or cat families. Instead, they are so unique that they have a family all their own, Hyaenidae. There are four members of the Hyaenidae family: the striped hyena, the âgigglyâ spotted hyena, the brown hyena, and the aardwolf (itâs a hyena, not a wolf). These magnificent animals are sometimes called the scourge of the Serengeti, but they play an important role: cleanup crew!
The hyena (spelled âhyaenaâ in some parts of the world) is Africaâs most common large carnivore. There are three hyena speciesâspotted, brown, and striped. Spotted hyenas are the largest of the three. Hyenas are fairly large in build and have relatively short torsos with lower hindquarters and sloping backs. They have excellent nighttime vision and hearing.