Hyrax
Hyrax also called dassie is any of four species of thick, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea, any of six species of small hoofed mammal (ungulates) native to Africa and extreme southwestern Asia.
| Hyrax Temporal range: Early Eocene - Recent
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Yellow-spotted Hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Superorder: | |
| Order: | Hyracoidea Huxley, 1869
|
| Genera | |
| |
Hyraxes are well-furred rotund creatures with a short tail. Most measure between 30–70 cm long and weigh between 2–5 kg. Hyraxes are mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible and it is possible that the Hebrew word for hyrax (shafan) is the source of the name of present-day Spain. Even though hyraxes are not native to Spain, rabbits are, and the theory states that early Hebrew explorers considered the rabbits to be a variety of hyrax.
Hyrax Media
A hyrax showing its characteristic chewing, grunting behavior, and incisor tusks
Pachyhyrax championi, a large fossil hyrax from the Miocene of Rusinga, Kenya (Natural History Museum collection)
Young hyrax on Mount Kenya
