Hyrax

Hyraxes (from Ancient Greek ὕραξ (húrax) 'shrewmouse'), also called dassies, are small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. Hyraxes are well-furred, rotund animals with short tails. Typically, they measure between 30 and 70 cm (12 and 28 in) long and weigh between 2 and 5 kg (4 and 11 lb). They are superficially similar to pikas and marmots, but are more closely related to elephants and sea cows.

Hyraxes have a life span from 9 to 14 years. Six extant species are recognised: the rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) and the yellow-spotted rock hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei), which both live on rock outcrops, including cliffs in Ethiopia and isolated granite outcrops called koppies in southern Africa; the western tree hyrax (Dendrohyrax dorsalis), southern tree hyrax (D. arboreus), eastern tree hyrax (D. validus) and Benin tree hyrax (D. interfluvialis). Their distribution is limited to Africa, except for P. capensis, which is also found in the Middle East.