Herpestoidea is a superfamily of Mammalia carnivores which includes mongooses, Malagasy carnivoransWozencraft, 2005, pp. 560–561 and the hyenas.
Herpestoids, with the exception of the hyenas, have a cylindrical and elongated body, which allows them to get into holes to catch prey. Herpestoids are feliforms and several of them specialize in hunting animals bigger than they are. Retrieved 08.31.2018
They live throughout Eurasia, Africa and the island of Madagascar.
Classification Superfamily HerpestoideaBARRETT, P. Z. THE EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF THE FELIFORMIA: CONTINGENCY, CONSTRAINT, DISPARITY (dissertation). June 2022 incertae sedis: family †Lophocyonidae (it probably belongs just outside Herpestoidea) family Eupleridae (Malagasy carnivorans) family Herpestidae (mongooses and allies) family Hyaenidae (hyenas and aardwolf) - including the former family †Percrocutidae
Phylogenetic tree The phylogenetic relationships of Herpestoidea are shown in the following cladogram:
The family †Lophocyonidae, which was recovered as closely related to Hyaenidae in 2019, rather seems to belong somewhere between Viverridae and Herpestoidea.
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