What is a hyrax?

The hyrax is also called rock rabbit or dassie, is a small furry mammal. It looks like a robust, oversized guinea pig, or a rabbit with rounded ears and no tail. Hyraxes have stumpy toes with hoof-like nails; and four toes on each front foot and three on each back foot. The longer, claw-like nails on the inside toes and the back feet are used for grooming and scratching. The bottoms of the feet have a rubbery texture to assist in climbing steep rock surfaces and trees.

Of the three hyrax species, two are known as rock (or bush) hyrax, and the third as tree hyrax. In the field, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate among them.

The rock hyrax has the widest distribution in East Africa. Its coat is yellowish — or grayish-brown — and the dorsal spot (a bare scent gland on the back covered with longer hair) is covered with black or yellow hair. Its head is more rounded than other types of hyraxes, and the nose is blunt.

The yellow-spotted hyrax, or rock rabbit, is smaller in size and has a more pointed, rodent-like nose. Generally, it has a conspicuous white patch over the eye, and its dorsal spot is whitish or yellowish. It is sometimes seen in the company of other types of hyrax, but species do not interbreed.

Tree hyraxes, unsurprisingly, spend a lot of time in trees. In some areas, they are hunted for their thick, soft, long hair. They have a white or yellow dorsal spot.