Hyena, pronounced hy EE nuh, is a mammal that is famous for its weird howl, which resembles a hysterical human laugh. The hyena hunts animals for its food. It also eats the remains of animals it finds dead. Hyenas have powerful jaws and strong teeth that enable them to crush and eat even large bones. The most common hyena is the spotted, or laughing, hyena. Other species include the striped hyena and the brown hyena. The spotted hyena lives in Africa, south of the Sahara. Its coarse fur is yellowish-gray with black spots. Striped hyenas live in northern Africa and from Turkey to India in Asia. They are smaller than spotted hyenas. Their coats are greyish, with narrow black stripes across the body and legs. The brown hyena is found in southern Africa, south of the Zambezi River. It has long hair on its back. It has a coarse blackish-gray coat and stripes only on its legs. Farmers who claim that brown hyenas prey on their livestock have poisoned or shot thousands of them. This species is now found in large numbers only in national parks and game reserves, where hunting is prohibited. Scientific Classification. Hyenas belong to the hyena family, Hyaenidae. The scientific name for the spotted hyena is Crocuta crocuta. The striped is Hyaena hyaena. The brown is H. brunnea. | 
