Hyenas use watering holes as places to cool off or to hide extra food. Rather than resting in dens, adult spotted hyenas sleep in holes or shallow pools or under bushes or scrubs-anywhere they can find shade during the heat of the day. They are able to survive in savannas and swamps, as well as semi-arid regions, and even mountainous forest areas. Staying cool: These interesting carnivores live in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its only true predators are lions and humans. A short mane of hair along its back stands upright. Its ears are more rounded than that of the other hyenas. The short, coarse fur has a yellow or gray tint covered in spots, which differ among individuals. The spotted hyena's paws have four toes with non-retractable claws. Its front legs are longer than its back legs, giving the hyena a profile somewhat like that of a wildebeest or bison. It has a large head with a long, thick, muscular neck and powerful jaws that give the hyena the strongest bite of any mammal. The spotted hyena may look unusual, at first sight. Female spotted hyenas are a bit larger than the males, but otherwise they look exactly the same. It is the largest member of the hyena family (other members are the striped hyena, brown hyena, and aardwolf). Also called the laughing hyena, the spotted hyena is a strong, capable hunter. It may look like a dog, but the spotted hyena is more closely related to cats, civets, and genets. Dogs or cats or.? So, you think you know all about spotted hyenas-the ones known to "laugh"? They're in lots of cartoons and movies, and they're usually in the role of giggly villains.
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