Originally Posted by Derek

research before you try to educate.

Classification & Range
Spotted hyenas are the largest member of the family Hyaenidae. This family also includes three other hyena species, the aardwolf (found in south Africa and east and northeast Africa), the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), found in northern Africa, southwest Asia and India, and the brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), which is found in limited areas of southern Africa, except most of South Africa.* Hyenas are generally thought to form an evolutionary "link" between dogs and cats, being more closely related to cats.