Are hyenas more feline or canine, or neither?

Answer 1

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They're in the feline suborder. Feliformia.

"Although hyenas bear some physical resemblance to canids, they make up a separate biological family that is most closely related to Herpestidae (the family of mongooses and meerkats), thereby falling within the Feliformia."

Source(s):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyena

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Answer 2

Hyenas are neither feline nor canine. They belong to a family of their own, Hyaenidae - you would describe them as 'hyenine', if anything. However, they are more closely related to cats than to dogs. The cat and hyena families both belong to the Feliformia (cat-like) suborder of the order Carnivora, together with mongooses and viverrids. The dog family belongs to the Caniformia (dog-like) suborder, together with bears, mustelids, raccoons and so on.

Source(s):

I used to be a zookeeper and have studied animals all my life.

Answer 3

Despite their dog-like appearance, life style, and hunting tactics, hyenas are more closely related to cats than to dogs. However, they are neither felines nor canines overall, they are in their own unique family, which is called "Hyenidae." Their closest relatives are the meerkat and mongoose.

Answer 4

Hyenas belong to the suborder Feliformia within the Carnivora order. Feliformia include large and small cats, hyenas, mongooses and meerkats. Hyenas are neither feline nor canine, they are most closely related to the family Herpestidae, the family of mongooses and meerkats.

Answer 5

Neither. They have their own species called hyaenidae which consists of 4 different species.