Rock Hyrax Profile
This is an animal many believe is extinct, having been succeeded by the ever-advancing wave of manufactured pop hyraxes that now flood the ecosystem. But with a rich ancestry of hybridization between the long-winded yet stylish jazz hyrax and the more emotionally intelligent, yet sombre blues hyrax, experts like Neil Young believe that rock hyraxes can never die.
Rock Hyrax Facts Overview
| Habitat: | Savanna, shrubland, rocky areas |
| Location: | Africa and the Middle East |
| Lifespan: | About 10 years |
| Size: | 50 cm (20 in) (length) |
| Weight: | 4 kg (8.8 lb) |
| Colour: | Grey-brown |
| Diet: | Plants, insects, grubs |
| Predators: | Leopards, eagles, snakes |
| Top Speed: | Slow |
| No. of Species: | 1 |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern (IUCN) |
Rock hyraxes are one of those animals that hides its awesomeness very well. At first glance, they look like any other plains rodent or mongoose, but they actually branched off from the elephant lineage, long before rodents were invented.
They’re also very strange little animals, with a rebel yell and suction-cup feet.
Interesting Rock Hyrax Facts
1. They’re not rodents
Rock hyraxes are more related to almost everything other than the mammals they resemble.
These small, furry animals are a member of the Hyracoidea order, that most recently branched off from the lineage of Proboscidea, or the elephants. This makes the largest animal on land their closest relative, and while that’s not obvious at first glance, on closer inspection, there are some similarities. 1
2. They’ve got no balls
Like in elephants, the testes of the rock hyrax are held inside the body cavity, so you don’t see any familiar cojones at the back, like you do with most quadrupedal mammals.
The structure of the skull in hyraxes shows distinctly elephant-like evolution, but their toes are visibly similar, having stumpy little nails like those found on the end of an elephant’s clublike foot.
They have tusks, too, and while this isn’t a uniquely elephant thing, most other animals’ tusks are canine teeth; both elephant and hyrax tusks are incisors.
Females have armpit nipples, just like in elephants, and both can fly by flapping their ears while holding a feather.
3. They were once huge
Rock hyraxes are the only species in their genus, but there are four tree hyrax species in the family, and there were once many more.
Once found all over Europe and Asia, hyraxes are now limited to Africa and the Middle East, but back in the day there was a 2-meter long Titanohyrax roaming about shrieking at things. 2
4. They shriek
One of the first things to note about these fluffy little freaks is their call. While not quite as mortifying as the ghost-ship-banshee duet of their arboreal cousins, the rock hyrax call can still make you quite uncomfortable.
This shriek is the most commonly-heard vocalisations and helps alert the crew of approaching predators. 3
5. Their eyes have built-in sun visors
Another cool adaptation to that effect is a special lipped iris, which sits over the pupil a little, giving a built-in protection against glare. This is particularly useful for spotting death from above – a common threat for hyraxes.
With this adaptation, they can gaze into the source of all our power and aren’t as prone to the “Hun in the Sun” phenomenon. This not only makes them excellent Sopwith pilots but also quite good at dodging eagles. 4
6. They have suction cup feet
At the other end, they have special feet for living on rocks. These are highly flexible, with a sort of rubbery, pliant texture like a climbing shoe. And that’s exactly what it’s good for.
Some reports go as far as claiming that a hyrax killed by a bullet has such effective suction on its feet that it will hang onto a vertical surface even in death.
7. They can’t control their body temperature very well
Another peculiar quirk of this animal is their cold-blooded physiology. There’s not really a strong divide between cold and warm-blooded animals – it’s more of a spectrum, but the hyrax is definitely a lot closer to the cold side than most mammals.
This is one of the reasons they spend so much time basking on rocks. Their body temperature can fluctuate more than ours, too, varying by up to 4°C; something which could be fatal to a human.
As the temperatures drop, oxygen intake and metabolic rate drop with it, and when it gets too hot, they can evaporate water from their noses to cool down.
8. They have weird teeth
Hyraxes possess distinctive dental features, with continuously growing triangular tusks in the upper jaw that serve various functions.
Their lower jaw has four serrated incisors used as combs, and there’s a noticeable gap separating these incisors from the cheek teeth. But interestingly, between individuals, their teeth can be so different it becomes hard to make any sweeping generalisations about their dentition.
Perhaps even more interestingly, hyraxes’ upper cheek teeth have similarities to rhinoceros teeth, and their lower cheek teeth resemble those of hippopotamuses.
9. They talk a lot
Despite the shriek of an alarmed hyrax being the most recognisable call, they actually have quite a range of vocalisations. Some say there are up to 20 distinct calls that a hyrax can make, and captive animals have been known to give a range of grunts, wails, snorts, growls and whistles, in different contexts.
Often, when one calls, another will respond, giving their calls a sort of duet-like quality. 5
Rock Hyrax Fact-File Summary
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Hyracoidea |
| Family: | Procaviidae |
| Genus: | Procavia |
| Species: | capensis |
Fact Sources & References
- Gabrielle Hammell (2018), “The Rock Hyrax: Elephants’ Unexpected Relative”, Medium.
- Rodolphe Tabuce (2017), “A new Titanohyrax species from the Priabonian of Dakhla, Morocco bridges a gap in the fossil record of the ‘Giant’ Hyracoids (Mammalia)”, Research Gate.
- BBC (2014), “Hyrax sunshield – 24 Hours on Earth: Preview”, YouTube.
- Robert Eley (1992), “The Biology of Hyraxes”, Research Gate.
- “Rock Hyrax”, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.