Mammals · Hyracoidea · Procaviidae

Southern Tree Hyrax

Dendrohyrax arboreus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The southern tree hyrax is a small mammal with the look of a chunky guinea pig that spends its life in the trees of the forests of eastern and southern Africa. It is nocturnal and feeds on leaves, shoots and fruit. Its relationships are one of the classic surprises of zoology: hyraxes are neither rodents nor lagomorphs, but close relatives of elephants and sirenians, with which they share anatomical features such as continuously growing incisors that work as miniature tusks.

Weight

1.5 kg – 4.5 kg

Size

40 cm – 60 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestTemperate forestMountainHerbivore Nocturnal In pairs Rainforest Temperate forest Mountain Mammal

9countries 13parks2same family

Fun facts

Its night call is one of the most startling voices of the African forest: a series of creaks rising in pitch until they end in a shriek audible more than a kilometre away.
It climbs smooth trunks thanks to moist, muscular foot pads that it can hollow out like suckers.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Humid forest, montane forest and gallery forest of eastern and southern Africa
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 7.5 months
Litter / clutch size: 2

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/