Hyena

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/hyena

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Family Hyaenidae
2. What makes hyenas look like dogs but are more like cats?Hyenas look like dogs, but genetic studies show they are closer to cats and other feliform animals.
3. Why do hyenas make a funny laugh?The laugh is a vocalization that shows excitement or submission.

Feliformia: A suborder of carnivoran mammals that includes cats, mongooses, and civets, to which hyenas are more closely related than dogs.
Ecological Niche: The role and position a species has in its environment, including how it meets its needs for food and shelter and how it interacts with other species.
Matriarchal Society: A social system where females are the primary leaders and hold the highest social status within a group.
Carcass: The dead body of an animal, a primary food source for many hyena species.