The Sunbathing Hyrax!
The rock hyrax (Procavia capensis), also called rock badger, rock rabbit, and Cape hyrax. It is one of the four living species of the order Hyracoidea, and the only living species in the genus Procavia. Like all hyraxes, it is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal, with short ears and tail.
Evidence supporting a common ancestor for hyraxes, elephants and the sirenians comes from some unusual shared characteristics. Like elephants, manatees, and dugongs, male hyraxes lack a scrotum and their testicles remain nestled in their abdominal cavity. The tusks of hyraxes develop from the incisor teeth, like elephant tusks; in most other tusked mammals, the tusks develop from the canine teeth. And hyraxes, like elephants, have flattened, hoof-like nails on the tips of their toes, rather than the curved claws seen on some other mammals.
Hyraxes typically live in groups of 10 - 80 animals, and forage as a group. They have been reported to use sentries: one or more animals take up position on a vantage point and issue alarm calls on the approach of predators.
They have multi-chambered stomachs. Although they are not ruminants, hyraxes have three-chambered stomachs filled with symbiotic bacteria that help break down the plants they eat. Baby hyraxes are not born with the bacteria they will need to digest plant matter, so to obtain it they eat the poop of adult hyraxes.
This very cute looking Rock Hyrax was photographed on a early morning game drive in Nairobi National Park, Kenya.
The Sunbathing Hyrax!
The rock hyrax (Procavia capensis), also called rock badger, rock rabbit, and Cape hyrax. It is one of the four living species of the order Hyracoidea, and the only living species in the genus Procavia. Like all hyraxes, it is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal, with short ears and tail.
Evidence supporting a common ancestor for hyraxes, elephants and the sirenians comes from some unusual shared characteristics. Like elephants, manatees, and dugongs, male hyraxes lack a scrotum and their testicles remain nestled in their abdominal cavity. The tusks of hyraxes develop from the incisor teeth, like elephant tusks; in most other tusked mammals, the tusks develop from the canine teeth. And hyraxes, like elephants, have flattened, hoof-like nails on the tips of their toes, rather than the curved claws seen on some other mammals.
Hyraxes typically live in groups of 10 - 80 animals, and forage as a group. They have been reported to use sentries: one or more animals take up position on a vantage point and issue alarm calls on the approach of predators.
They have multi-chambered stomachs. Although they are not ruminants, hyraxes have three-chambered stomachs filled with symbiotic bacteria that help break down the plants they eat. Baby hyraxes are not born with the bacteria they will need to digest plant matter, so to obtain it they eat the poop of adult hyraxes.
This very cute looking Rock Hyrax was photographed on a early morning game drive in Nairobi National Park, Kenya.