All About the Hyrax, the Elephant's Cousin That Looks Like a Rodent

Rock hyraxes are also called rock rabbits, or dassies. Other hyrax nicknames include pimbi, stone badger, cape hyrax, coney, and klipdas. Little brother of the elephant: What is one of 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 (HI-racks).

Although diurnal, they may venture out on moonlit nights. They spend most of the time, however, doing nothing; only about five percent of their time is spent in active pursuits. In some parts of Africa, bush hyraxes often live in the same rocky areas as rock hyraxes. The two species may share shelter holes and huddle together to warm up in the morning. Their young even play together! Although they have very different breeding behaviors, rock hyraxes and bush hyraxes seem to understand each other. There are very few cases of mammal species living so closely together. Hyraxes have a three-chambered stomach with bacteria to help digest the plants they eat. During the wet season, rock hyraxes eat mostly grass, but when the grass dries, they switch to browse materials: fruits and leaves. At the San Diego Zoo, our rock hyraxes are offered super high-fiber pellets, a bit of produce, and hay.