Created | Updated Aug 19, 2003
THE HYRAX
Hyraxes are small, rabbit-sized mammals that live in Africa and the Middle East. In South Africa, they are known as 'dassies'. Their main claim to fame is
that they are the closing 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); 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'.
The order Hyracoidea embraces all hyraxes. Within this order, hyraxes can be divided into two genera: the genus Procavia, or rock hyraxes, and the genus Dendrohyrax, or tree hyraxes. Within these genera, there are several different hyrax species.
It is difficult to draw the exact boundaries between the hyrax species, but in general, scientists recognise three principal species:
- Rock Hyraxes: these are the commonest hyraxes, living on rock coppies in East Africa.
- Yellow-Spotted Hyraxes: these are smaller than rock hyraxes, and have a yellow spot on their backs.
- Tree hyraxes: unlike the other two species, 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 coppies by touch alone. This helps the hyraxes to find hinding-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 coppies 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 hygenic, 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 thousands 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 coppie and is ruled by one male who governs a group of females. Young males are driven away when they reach maturity, and are 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 ancester. 50 million years ago, creatures with names
like Titanohyrax and Gigantohyrax - about the size of bears - stalked the
savannah. Some of their descendants became smaller, and evolved into the hyrax
family. Others grew larger, and ultimately became the elephant famly (they are also believed to be the ancestors of the sea-cows or dugongs). Strange
though this theory may seem, DNA evidence supports it.
THE EASIEST WAYS TO SEE HYRAXES
THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, LONDON. Here you can see several hyraxes (sadly stuffed), along with displays on their evolution and behaviour, and even a 6-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.
