The Afrikaans name for them is "Dassies", and they are amazing little critters.
Can you believe that these little hyraxes are related to elephants?
Along with other hyrax species and the sirenians, this species is the most closely related to the elephant. An unrelated, convergently evolved mammal of similar habits and appearance is the rock cavy of Brazil.
The rock hyrax has a pointed head, short neck, and rounded ears. It has long, black whiskers on its muzzle. The rock hyrax has a prominent pair of long, pointed tusk-like upper incisors, which are reminiscent of the elephant, to which the hyrax is distantly related. The fore feet are plantigrade, and the hind feet are semi-digitigrade. The soles of the feet have large, soft pads that are kept moist with sweat-like secretions. In males, the testes are permanently abdominal, another anatomical feature that hyraxes share with elephants and sirenians
I think that this one on the rocks was the sentry, or watchman for predators. So, he sat high up, while the others were searching for food below.
This one seemed to find some nesting material.
There were about 10 of them that we saw on a short stroll along the foreshore.
Interesting little creatures, and they have evolved over time in order to escape predators. So, when a sentry gives a warning call, they can disappear in seconds into the rocks in holes they have identified as safe escapes. Their main predators are poisonous snakes, wild cats and leopards, wild dogs, owls, and other birds of prey. But the main specialist in hunting hyraxes is the Verreaux eagles. So, yeah, you can see that they have many predators.
Naturopathic use
Rock hyraxes produce large quantities of hyraceum, a sticky mass of dung and urine that has been employed as a South African folk remedy in the treatment of several medical disorders, including epilepsy and convulsions Hyraceum is now being used by perfumers, who tincture it in alcohol to yield a natural animal musk.
Nature has so many secrets, and who could have imagined that these little rock hyraxes can assist in curing epilepsy and convulsions. I also read somewhere that their dung can also help with strokes. In all honesty, I did not know that they also had a medicinal use, and that is something very special about them.
Such is life.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
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