The hyena is a family of feliform carnivores consisting of four species: the striped hyena, the brown hyena, the spotted hyena and the aardwolf. The family is native to sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula but has been introduced to parts of Asia and Europe.
Hyenas are large animals with long legs, a bulky body and a short tail. They have an erect mane which runs down their back and they have large ears which project from their head. Hyenas are both nocturnal and diurnal hunters and scavengers. They feed on small mammals, reptiles, birds, eggs, carrion and sometimes even kill larger prey such as wildebeest calves or Thomson’s gazelles.
The striped hyena is found in North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. It is the smallest member of the family weighing in at around 35kg. The brown hyena is found in southern Africa where it inhabits dry savannahs and woodlands. It can weigh up to 80kg making it one of the largest members of its family. The spotted hyena is also found in Africa south of the Sahara desert where it occurs in open woodlands, scrublands and grasslands. It weighs between 40-80kg making it intermediate in size between the other two members of its genus Crocuta . Lastly,the aardwolf can be found throughout eastern and southern Africa including Ethiopia , Kenya , Tanzania , Zambia , Zimbabwe , Botswana , Mozambique , South Africa , Namibia & Angola . It feeds primarily on termites although it will also eat other insects if they are available