Hyraxes are small, rabbit-sized mammals that live in Africa and the Middle East. In South Africa, they are known as 'dassies'. You can see some pictures of hyraxes here, and if you click here you can even rotate a three-dimensional hyrax¹. The main claim to fame of hyraxes is that they are the closest living relative of the elephant. However, they are interesting animals in their own right, and they are entertaining to watch in a strange, hypnotic way.

Classification

Although hyraxes might appear at first glance to be rodents, they are in fact ungulates (hoofed mammals), as they have small hooves on their toes. Within this group, hyraxes are so unusual that they have been given a separate order of their own, the 'Hyracoidea', within which is a single family, the 'Procaviidae'. Within this family, hyraxes are divided into three genera (each of which contains several different species):

• Rock Hyraxes (Procavia) - these are the most common hyraxes; they live on rock koppies² in East Africa.

• Yellow-spotted Hyraxes (Heterohyrax) - these also live on rocks, but they are smaller than rock hyraxes, and have a yellow or grey spot on their backs.

• Tree Hyraxes (Dendrohyrax) - unlike the others, tree hyraxes are solitary and nocturnal. They live in forests.

Adaptations

Hyraxes have a number of intriguing adaptations.

• Their eyes contain sun-shields that enable them to stare directly into the sun. This enables them to spot eagles, which often try to approach a hyrax colony by flying from the direction of the sun.

• They have a number of long sensitive hairs which enable them to navigate dark passageways in the rock koppies by touch alone. This helps the hyraxes to find hiding-places when eagles are circling.

• Their feet have padded soles that cling to surfaces by suction, enabling them to run and jump up near-vertical rock faces.

• They have small 'tusks' on their lower jaws and a special claw on the back of their feet, which help them to groom their fur.

• They also have a wide vocal range, and can emit loud squeaks, twitters, grunts and howls.

Habits

Rock hyraxes are communal animals, and live on rock koppies in the savannah. Bush hyraxes are solitary and live in hollows in trees.

Rock hyraxes have charmed lives. Most of their day is spent lounging around on rocks in the sun. They don't need to eat a great deal; they just munch on grass when they're in the mood, and then go back to lounging. Their principal enemies are eagles that glide over their rock hideouts, and will eat them if they get the chance. Hyraxes are therefore very alert when eating, and will emit a high-pitched squeak if an eagle is spotted, causing the whole colony to scurry for the rocks.

One of the most amusing aspects of hyrax behaviour is their toilet habits. They are obsessively hygienic, and each community of hyraxes will use only one particular spot for their latrine. They typically choose the edge of a high rock, and these latrines are easy to spot. Over hundreds of years, their sticky urine adheres to the rock, forming a hard brown sludge, while their small round droppings accumulate in a vast pile at the bottom.

Social Structure

Hyraxes live in patriarchal colonies. Each colony occupies a rock koppie and is ruled by one male who governs a group of females. Life in such a colony is easy, except for the young males, who are driven away when they reach maturity, forced to wander the savannah until they can defeat the patriarch of another colony and form a harem of their own. The battles consist of jousts in which the males try to 'mount' each other.

Hyraxes and Elephants

Bizarrely, hyraxes are believed to be the closest living relatives of the elephant. They share numerous features with elephants, such as toenails, sensitive pads on their feet, tusks, and the shape of some of their bones.

Of course, the origins of this relationship are far back in the distant past, and in fact it is more correct to say that the two animals simply share a common ancestor; 50 million years ago, creatures with names like Titanohyrax and Gigantohyrax - about the size of bears - stalked the savannah. The descendants of these monsters evolved in different ways. Some became smaller, and evolved into the hyrax family. Others grew larger, and ultimately became the elephant family (they are also believed to be the ancestors of dugongs and manatees). Strange though this theory may seem, DNA evidence supports it.

How to see Hyraxes

Hyrax-watching is a relaxing and rewarding experience. However, if you wish to observe hyraxes, you may find that you need to part with a bit of cash.

Watching hyraxes for free

This is tricky, unless you happen to live in London or Cape Town.

• The Natural History Museum, London - Here, you can see several hyraxes (sadly stuffed), along with displays on their evolution and behaviour, and even a six-minute film entitled 'Hyrax City'.

• Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa - Many hyraxes live on Table Mountain (where they are known as 'dassies'), and you can observe them at your leisure.

Watching hyraxes for a small fee

• Visit your local zoo - there may well be some hyraxes in the small mammals section. If there are none, write a strongly-worded letter of complaint to the management.

Watching hyraxes at great expense

• Go on safari - if all else fails, your best bet is to take a safari holiday in Africa. Your guide will understandably assume that you wish to see more exciting animals such as lions, giraffes and elephants. But if you ask nicely, they're certain to know the whereabouts of a hyrax colony or two.

Hyrax Links

• An excellent introduction to hyraxes.
• A less technical introduction.
• Detailed information on the physical characteristics of hyraxes.
• The place of the Hyracoidea in zoological classification.