Mammals · Hyracoidea · Procaviidae

Rock Hyrax

Procavia capensis

Least Concern

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

Despite looking like a large marmot, it is surprisingly one of the closest living relatives of the elephant.

Weight

3.6 kg – 4 kg

Size

30.5 cm – 55 cm

Lifespan

8 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

Fun facts

It shares unusual anatomical features with the elephant, such as permanently growing incisor tusks.
It eats a wide range of grasses, leaves and fruit.
It lives on rocky outcrops, deserts and savannah across much of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
taxonomíaDespite looking like a rodent, its closest living relative is the elephant, with which it shares dental and skeletal features rarely seen in small mammals.

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Rocky outcrops, deserts and savannah across much of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, avoiding the Congo Basin and Madagascar
Birth weight: Born precocial, well furred and able to move soon after birth
Size at birth: Born precocial
Sexual maturity: 16-17 months in the male
Gestation / incubation: 7-8 months, according to recent studies
Litter / clutch size: 1 to 6 young per litter (average 3)
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 14.8 years