Rock hyrax

The rock hyrax, also called the dassie, is a stocky, rabbit-sized mammal with short ears and thick grey-brown fur. It looks like a big guinea pig, but its closest living relatives are elephants and manatees. Adults are about 50 centimetres long and weigh around 4 to 5 kilograms. Its upper front teeth are long and pointed, a little like tiny tusks.

Rock hyraxes live in Africa and the Middle East, in places with rocky crevices where they can hide from predators, at heights up to 4,200 metres. They live in groups of 10 to 80, forage together and post sentries that call out when danger comes. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. The globe places it in rocky areas of Israel, Jordan and the Middle East.

Sunbathers of the rocks

A hyrax cannot keep its body temperature steady as well as most mammals, so it is most active in the morning and evening and spends midday resting in the sun. A gland on its back gives off a smell that is used for social messages and territory marking, and it is easiest to see in dominant males. The soles of its feet have large, soft pads that are kept moist, which suits an animal that scrambles over steep rocks.

Where they live

Rock hyraxes occur widely in sub-Saharan Africa and also in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Lebanon, but not in the Congo Basin or Madagascar. They are the only land animals of the elephant-and-manatee group in the Middle East. Fur colour changes with the place, from dark brown in wet areas to light grey in deserts. In older English Bible translations the animal was called a coney.

On the globe

The globe places the rock hyrax on the rocks of Israel, Jordan and the Middle East. Look for the rounded brown body and short ears.