Range:

East Africa and Middle East

Habitat:

Rocky scrublands, savanna, and desert

Little brother of the elephant

What are the closest living relatives of the elephant? If you said the manatee or dugong, which are both marine mammals, you would be correct. But there is another family member that is often forgotten: the hyrax!

It might look a bit like a large guinea pig or rabbit, but the hyrax is neither. Instead, the hyrax has similar teeth, toes, and skull structures to that of an elephant’s. More importantly, the hyrax shares an ancestor with the elephant. Strong molars grind up tough vegetation, and two large incisor teeth grow out to be tiny tusks, just like an elephant’s.

There are three hyrax species: rock hyrax; tree, or bush, hyrax; and yellow-spotted hyrax. This fact sheet focuses on the rock hyrax.

Furry footballs

The hyrax is covered in short brown fur, with a lighter underbelly. There are extra-long hairs that stick out around the body called guard hairs to help the hyrax feel its way around, the same way a cat uses its whiskers. The hyrax has short legs and rounded toes with a long nail, called a grooming claw, on the inner toe of the back foot that is used for picking through hair and scratching an itch.

A scent gland on its back is covered with longer black hairs. The gland is used to mark rocks or trees to communicate with other hyraxes.

Rock hyraxes are also called rock rabbits, or dassies. Other hyrax nicknames include pimbi, stone badger, cape hyrax, coney, and klipdas.
Hyrax colonies use the same area for their toilet, leaving white stains on the rocks.
Millions of years ago, hyraxes were one of the most important herbivores around and were the size of today’s tapirs.
Hyraxes don’t need much water because they get most of it from their food.

A colony of rock hyrax can be viewed in the kopje exhibit in the San Diego Zoo’s Africa Rocks zone. Come see these marvelous little critters and watch how they turn a rock into a home!

Hyraxes are not considered an endangered species and have become as common as our North American squirrels. As a result, in some areas they are considered pests, competing with cattle, sheep, and goats for grazing sites. They are also hunted for their meat and soft fur, but so far their populations are stable.

You can help us bring other species back from the brink by supporting the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy. Together we can save and protect wildlife around the globe.