It might look a bit like a large guinea pig or rabbit with very short ears, but the hyrax is neither. Instead, the hyrax has similar teeth, toes, and skull structures to that of an elephant's. More importantly, the hyrax shares an ancestor with the elephant. The hyrax's strong molars grind up tough vegetation, and two large incisor teeth grow out to be tiny tusks, just like an elephant's. There are three members of the Procaviidae or hyrax family: the rock hyrax, tree hyrax, and bush or yellow-spotted hyrax. The rock hyrax is covered in short brown fur, with a lighter underbelly. There are extra-long hairs that stick out around the body called guard hairs to help the hyrax feel its way around, the same way a cat uses its whiskers. The hyrax has short legs and rounded toes with a long nail, called a grooming claw, on the inner toe of the back foot that is used for picking through hair and scratching an itch.

A scent gland on its back (called a dorsal gland) is covered with longer black hairs. The gland is used to mark rocks or trees to communicate with other hyraxes. A male hyrax's nose is larger than a female's. All hyraxes have a special eyelid (called a nictitating membrane) for sun and dust protection; a bulge in each iris acts as a built-in sun visor.

Life on the rocks: All hyraxes live throughout most of Africa, but rock hyraxes are also found along the coast of the Arabian Peninsula up to Lebanon. As their name implies, they hang out in areas where there are boulders, rock formations, or even little nooks on sheer cliffs that provide shelter and protection. Their homes are easy to identify as hyrax abodes, as the animals' urine crystalizes and looks like white patches on the rocks.

Hyrax feet are built for rock climbing: the bottom of each foot is bare and has a moist, rubbery pad that lifts up in the center for a suction-cup effect to help the hyrax cling to rocks and other smooth surfaces without slipping. They can even "chimney" up and down tight spaces. Rock hyraxes live up to the expression "safety in numbers." They may live in colonies of up to 50 individuals, sharing sleeping areas and looking for food together. Each day starts with a group sunbathing session for several hours. Once warmed up, they head out for a short period of feeding. Rock hyraxes do not like cool or rainy weather and won't even come out of their rock shelter if the weather is not to their liking.

Although diurnal, they may venture out on moonlit nights. They spend most of the time, however, doing nothing; only about five percent of their time is spent in active pursuits. In some parts of Africa, bush hyraxes often live in the same rocky areas as rock hyraxes. The two species may share shelter holes and huddle together to warm up in the morning. Their young even play together! Although they have very different breeding behaviors, rock hyraxes and bush hyraxes seem to understand each other. There are very few cases of mammal species living so closely together. Hyraxes have a three-chambered stomach with bacteria to help digest the plants they eat. During the wet season, rock hyraxes eat mostly grass, but when the grass dries, they switch to browse materials: fruits and leaves. At the San Diego Zoo, our rock hyraxes are offered super high-fiber pellets, a bit of produce, and hay.

Rock hyraxes feed in a circle formation, with their head pointing to the outside of the circle to keep an eye out for predators, such as leopards, hyenas, jackals, servals, pythons, and the Verreaux's eagle and black eagle, hyrax specialists. With their excellent vision, rock hyraxes can spot a predator over 1,000 yards (900 meters) away! During each feeding period, the dominant male pauses between bites to watch for danger. He sounds a shriek alarm if he sees anything of concern, which sends all of the hyraxes scrambling for cover, where they remain absolutely still until they think the danger has passed. If needed, a hyrax can wedge itself backward between rocks and bite savagely at the intruder with its long, sharp incisors.

Female rock hyraxes stay with their family for life. There is one male for every five to seven females that patrols a certain territory within his colony. When babies, called pups, are born, usually around the same time once each year, the entire colony greets and sniffs the young ones. The pups are amazingly precocial, born with their eyes and ears open. They look like miniature adults and have the same luxuriant coat.