Hyenas, with their distinctive calls and powerful builds, often lead to confusion about their place in the animal kingdom. Their appearance and behaviors frequently spark questions about whether they are related to dogs or cats. Understanding their true biological classification clarifies these misconceptions.
The Taxonomic Truth
Hyenas belong to their own distinct biological family, Hyaenidae, which includes four living species: the spotted hyena, striped hyena, brown hyena, and the aardwolf. While hyenas are carnivores, like dogs and cats, they are neither canids (the dog family) nor felids (the cat family). Instead, hyenas are part of the suborder Feliformia, or “cat-like” carnivorans. This places them in a different evolutionary lineage than dogs, which belong to the suborder Caniformia, or “dog-like” carnivorans.
Despite some superficial similarities to canids, genetic analysis confirms that hyenas share a more recent common ancestor with cats. Their closest living relatives within the Feliformia suborder are mongooses and civets.
Why the Confusion?
The common misconception about hyenas being related to dogs often stems from their physical appearance and behavioral traits. Hyenas possess a dog-like build with a blunt muzzle and often engage in group hunting, which resembles the pack behavior of canids. Their non-retractable claws and calloused feet, adapted for running long distances, also align with characteristics seen in dogs. The “laughing” sound of spotted hyenas, a sign of excitement or nervousness, is also sometimes perceived as a dog-like vocalization.
Despite these dog-like resemblances, hyenas also exhibit some feline-like traits. They groom themselves frequently, similar to cats. Their rough tongues, equipped with sharp spines, aid in stripping flesh from prey and also assist in grooming, a feature shared with felines. These similarities to both dogs and cats are primarily due to convergent evolution, where unrelated species develop similar characteristics as adaptations to comparable ecological roles or environments.
Unique Hyena Characteristics
Hyenas possess several distinct biological and behavioral characteristics. Their skulls are robust, and their jaws are among the most powerful in proportion to their size of any mammal, capable of exerting a bite force of around 1,100 pounds per square inch (PSI). This immense strength allows them to crush bones and access nutrient-rich marrow, a food source inaccessible to many other predators. Their digestive system is highly acidic and efficient, enabling them to process almost an entire carcass, including skin, hooves, and bones, with indigestible parts like hair often regurgitated in pellets.
Spotted hyenas live in complex social groups called clans, which can number up to 80 individuals and are typically matriarchal. Females are generally larger and dominate males, with cubs inheriting their mother’s social rank. Hyenas communicate through a variety of vocalizations beyond the well-known “laugh,” including whoops, growls, and groans, which convey different messages like warnings, excitement, or calls for clan coordination. Anatomically, hyenas have a distinctive hunched appearance due to their strong, well-developed forequarters and relatively underdeveloped hindquarters. Female spotted hyenas notably possess a pseudo-penis, an elongated clitoris through which they urinate, mate, and give birth, a unique feature among placental mammals.