Mammals · Hyracoidea · Procaviidae

Bush Hyrax

Heterohyrax brucei

Least Concern

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

The bush hyrax or yellow-spotted hyrax lives in colonies on the rocky outcrops of the African savannahs, often sharing the same crevices with the rock hyrax. It feeds mainly on leaves and shoots, while its neighbour grazes grass, a division of resources that lets them live together. It suns itself for hours on the rocks because it regulates its body temperature poorly. Hyraxes are close relatives of the elephants and the sirenians, not of the rodents.

Weight

1.3 kg – 4.5 kg

Size

32 cm – 56 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

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Fun facts

It lives on the same rocks as the rock hyrax without competing: one browses leaves and the other grazes grass, and they even look after each other's young in communal crèches, one of the clearest cases of coexistence between two related species.
Its upper incisors grow continuously and project like tiny tusks: an inheritance from its kinship with the elephants, whose tusks are also modified incisors.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Rocky outcrops, koppies and cliffs of savannah and arid areas of eastern and southern Africa
Sexual maturity: 16.2 months
Gestation / incubation: 7.5 months
Litter / clutch size: 1.9 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterohyrax_brucei