? Cape Hyrax Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Hyracoidea Family: Procaviidae Genus: Procavia Storr, 1780 Species: P. capensis
Binomial name
Procavia capensis (Pallas, 1766)

The Cape Hyrax (Procavia capensis) is a species in the order Hyracoidea. Like all hyraxes, it superficially resembles a rabbit with short ears and tail. The Swahili names for them are "Pelele" or "Wibari". This species has many supspecies, many of which are known as Cape Hyrax or Rock Hyrax, although the latter usually refers to African varieties. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 251 KB) Description: Dassie (Cape Hyrax) photgraphed on Table Mountain, Cape Town. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (rhombozoans) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Subclass Multituberculata (extinct) Plagiaulacida Cimolodonta Subclass Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Subclass Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Eutheria (includes extinct ancestors)/Placentalia (excludes extinct ancestors) Afrosoricida Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Cimolesta (extinct) Creodonta (extinct) Condylarthra (extinct) Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Embrithopoda (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Litopterna (extinct) Macroscelidea Mesonychia (extinct) Notoungulata (extinct) Perissodactyla Pholidota Plesiadapiformes... Genera  Procavia  Heterohyrax  Dendrohyrax A hyrax is any of about 11 species of fairly small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. ... Genera  Procavia  Heterohyrax  Dendrohyrax A hyrax is any of about 11 species of fairly small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Pallas Athena. ... // Order may refer to: Religious Holy Orders, the rite or sacrament in which clergy are ordained The monastic orders, originating with Anthony the Great and Benedict of Nursia from circa 300 the military orders of the crusades the various chivalric orders established since the 14th century Honors Order (decoration) Legal... Genera  Procavia  Heterohyrax  Dendrohyrax A hyrax is any of about 11 species of fairly small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. ... Genera Procavia Heterohyrax Dendrohyrax A hyrax (in South African English: klipdassie) is any of four species of fairly small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. ... Genera Pentalagus Bunolagus Nesolagus Romerolagus Brachylagus Sylvilagus Oryctolagus Poelagus Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae, found in many parts of the world. ... Swahili (also called Kiswahili; see Kiswahili for a discussion of the nomenclature) is an agglutinative Bantu language widely spoken in East Africa. ...

Occurrence

Cape Hyraxes occur south of Syria, through North Africa and much of sub-Saharan Africa, Israel living in savanna or grassland areas. They live in cavities in rock outcroppings and can often be found in the burrows of other animals including those of aardvarks and meerkats.  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Savanna is a grassland dotted with trees, and occurs in several types of biomes. ... An Inner Mongolian Grassland. ... Binomial name Orycteropus afer (Pallas, 1766) The Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is a medium-sized mammal native to Africa. ... Binomial name Suricata suricatta (Schreber, 1776) The meerkat or suricate, is a small mammal and a member of the mongoose family. ...

In South Africa these animals are commonly called "dassies" or "rock rabbits" since they are often seen sunning themselves on rocks and, like the rabbits that they resemble, are small herbivores. The word 'dassie,' in German as well as Afrikaans, means "badger" - which suggests early Afrikaner colonists (Cape Town or 'Kaapstad' was founded 1652) mistook the Cape Hyrax for a kind of badger.

The Syrian population has been described as a the subspecies, Procavia capensis syriacus, although some regard it as a distinct species.^[1] They are probably the "rock badger" or "coney" mentioned as an unclean meat in Leviticus 11:5. Lumping and splitting refers to a well known problem in any discipline which has to place individual examples into rigorously defined categories. ... Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, also the third book in the Torah (five books of Moses). ...

Physical description and lifestyle

The skull of the Cape Hyrax has a pair of long tusk-like incisors and molars that resemble rhinoceros' molars. The forefeet are plantigrade, and the hindfeet semi-digitigrade. The soles of the feet have large, soft pads that are kept moist with sweat-like secretions. Male hyraxes are slightly larger than females. Pacific Walrus at Cape Peirce A tusk is an extremely long tooth of certain mammals that protrudes when the mouth is closed. ... Incisors are the first kind of tooth in heterodont mammals. ... A molar is the fourth kind of tooth in mammals. ... Genera Ceratotherium Dicerorhinus Diceros Rhinoceros Coelodonta (extinct)Elasmotherium (extinct) A rhinoceros (commonly called a rhino for short) is any of five surviving species of odd-toed ungulate in the family Rhinocerotidae. ... Human skeleton, showing plantigrade habit In mammals, plantigrade locomotion means walking with the podials and metatarsals flat on the ground. ... A digitigrade is an animal which stands or walks on its digits, or toes. ...

Cape Hyrax give birth to between two to three young after a 6-7 month gestation period. The young are well-developed at birth with fully-opened eyes and complete pelage. Young can ingest solid food after two weeks and are weaned at ten weeks. Young are sexually mature after 16 months, reach adult size at three years, and typically live about ten years. Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. ... In mammals, pelage is the hair, fur, or wool that covers the animal. ...

Hyraxes live in herds of up to 80 individuals. These herds are subdivided into smaller flocks consisting of a few families and headed by an adult male. Hyraxes spend most of their time resting in large huddles or basking alone. These behaviors probably serve to help regulate body temperature as hyraxes' body temperature fluctuates with ambient temperature (i.e. they are not strictly homeothermic). Ambient music is a loosely defined musical genre that incorporates elements of a number of different styles - including jazz, electronic music, new age, rock and roll, modern classical music, reggae, traditional, world and even noise. ... A warm-blooded (homeothermic) animal is one that can keep its core body temperature at a nearly constant level regardless of the temperature of the surrounding environment (that is, to maintain thermal homeostasis) . This can involve not only the ability to generate heat, but also the ability to cool down...

A Cape Hyrax foraging on Table Mountain, Cape Town

A Cape Hyrax basking on Table Mountain, Cape Town

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2271x1662, 909 KB) Dassie (Cape Hyrax) photgraphed on Table mountain, Cape Town in February 2005 by Anthony Steele. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2271x1662, 909 KB) Dassie (Cape Hyrax) photgraphed on Table mountain, Cape Town in February 2005 by Anthony Steele. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2355x1662, 829 KB) Dassie (Cape Hyrax) photgraphed on Table mountain, Cape Town in February 2005 by Anthony Steele. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2355x1662, 829 KB) Dassie (Cape Hyrax) photgraphed on Table mountain, Cape Town in February 2005 by Anthony Steele. ...

Cape Hyraxes and medical treatment

Cape Hyraxes produce large quantities of hyraceum (sticky mass of dung and urine) that has been employed by people in the treatment of several medical disorders, including epilepsy and convulsions. A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes discomfort, dysfunction, or distress to the person affected or those in contact with the person. ... This article is about the medical condition. ...

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1254x816, 104 KB) Summary A Cape Hyrax or Dassie, this one named Pretorius, photo by myself in Hermanus, South Africa, October 2005. ...

Externale links

• Animal Diversity Website - Procavia capensis
• The Bible - Book of Proverbs

References

1. ^ Shoshani, Jeheskel (November 16, 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds) Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, 88-89, Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.