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hyena
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Hyena.
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Hyena.
Hyena.

hyena

mammal
Also known as: hyaena
Written by
Lory Herbison and George W. Frame
Wildlife biologists. Authors of Swift and Enduring: Cheetahs and Wild Dogs of the Serengeti.
Lory Herbison and George W. Frame
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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hyena, (family Hyaenidae), any of three species of coarse-furred, doglike carnivores found in Asia and Africa and noted for their scavenging habits. Hyenas have long forelegs and a powerful neck and shoulders for dismembering and carrying prey. Hyenas are tireless trotters with excellent sight, hearing, and smell for locating carrion, and they are proficient hunters as well. All hyenas are more or less nocturnal. Intelligent, curious, and opportunistic in matters of diet, hyenas frequently come...

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