Other Names:
Hyrax
Type:
Mammals
Order:
Hyracoidea
Diet:
Browser and grazer of leaves and grass
Size:
Between 30 and 70cm
Weight:
Between 2 and 5kgs
Protection Status:
Least concern
General Background:
Dassies are small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. Hyraxes are well-furred, rotund animals with short tails. Typically, they measure between 30 and 70 cm long and weigh between 2 and 5 kg. They are often mistaken for pikas or rodents, but are more closely related to elephants and manatees.
Four extant species are recognised:
- The Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis)
- The Yellow-Spotted Rock Hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei)
- The Western Tree Hyrax (Dendrohyrax dorsalis)
- The Southern Tree Hyrax (Dendrohyrax arboreus).
Their distribution is limited to Africa and the Middle East.
Places in which they are found in Zimbabwe: