Amy Lee, 12, of Tulsa, Okla., for her question:

WHERE DOES THE HYENA LIVE?

The hyena, who is famous for his strange voice that sounds. like a hysterical human laugh, is a favorite among zoo visitors. In many ways he resembles some of our dogs.

The spotted or laughing hyena is the most common type, and you'll find him living in the wilds of Africa to the south of the Sahara. He has coarse fur that is yellowish gray with black spots.

Another common hyena is the striped hyena of India and southwestern Asia. He's smaller than the spotted hyena and his coat is gray with narrow black stripes running across his body and legs.

The brown hyena lives in South Africa and has hair on his back that is 10 inches long. He has stripes only on his legs, while his coat is a coarse blackish gray.