Hyena

Hyenas or hyaenas ( hi-EE-nəz; from Ancient Greek ὕαινα, hýaina) are feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the family Hyaenidae ( Latin pronunciation: [i.ɛː.ni.dɛː]). With just four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the order Carnivora and one of the smallest in the class Mammalia. Despite their low diversity, hyenas are unique and vital components of most African ecosystems. Although phylogenetically closer to felines and viverrids, hyenas are behaviourally and morphologically similar to canids in several elements due to convergent evolution: both hyenas and canines are non-arboreal, cursorial hunters that catch prey with their teeth rather than claws.