hyena (redirected from Hyaenidae)

hyena

member of the family Hyaenidae. Carnivorous but only for carrion, these ugly, smelly animals with their raucous voices and hysterical-sounding laughter are offensive in most ways. They have four toes, low hindquarters relative to their strong forequarters, and rough coats consisting mostly of guardhairs. Called also Crocuta crocuta (spotted hyena) and Hyaena hyaena, H. brunnea (striped and brown hyenas respectively).

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hyena disease

cattle disease of slow growth, underdevelopment of hindquarters, thick, stiff bristles along the back, aggressive behavior. A chondrodystrophy affecting hindlimb bones and lumbar vertebrae. The overall effect is to create a silhouette like that of a hyena. Cause unknown but similar lesions can be reproduced by the administration of high amounts of vitamin A.