The tree hyrax or tree dassie is a small nocturnal mammal native to Africa. Distantly related to elephants and sea cows, it comprises the four species in the genus Dendrohyrax, one of only three genera in the family Procaviidae, which is the only living family within the order Hyracoidea.
The four species are:
Image
Common Name
Scientific Name
Distribution
Southern tree hyrax
D. arboreus
East and Southern Africa[2]
Eastern tree hyrax
D. validus
East Africa.[3][4]
Benin tree hyrax
D. interfluvialis
West Africa.[5]
Western tree hyrax
D. dorsalis
West and Central Africa[6]
Analysis of calls found that they could be divided into 'shrieking' hyraxes and 'barking' hyraxes, with the barkers being a genetically distinct fourth species.[7]
The tree hyrax has four-toed front feet and three-toed back feet with rounded nails, and rubbery soles that help it climb.[8]
^Shoshani, J. (2005). Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 87–88. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
^Butynski, T.; Hoeck, H. & de Jong, Y.A. (2015). "Dendrohyrax arboreus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T6409A21282806. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T6409A21282806.en.
^Roberts, D.; Topp-Jorgensen, E.; Moyer, D. (2013). "Dendrohyrax validus, Eastern Tree Hyrax". In Kingdon, J.; Happold, D.; Hoffmann, M.; Butynski, T.; Happold, M.; Kalina, J. (eds.). Mammals of Africa, Volue 1: Introductory Chapters and Adfrotheria. A&C Black. pp. 158–161. ISBN 978-1-4081-8996-2.
^Hoeck, H.; Rovero, F.; Cordeiro, N.; Butynski, T.; Perkin, A.; Jones, T. (2015). "Dendrohyrax validus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T136599A21288090. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T136599A21288090.en.
^Oates, John F.; Woodman, Neal; Gaubert, Philippe; Sargis, Eric J.; Wiafe, Edward D.; Lecompte, Emilie; Dowsett-Lemaire, Françoise; Dowsett, Robert J.; Gonedelé Bi, Sery; Ikemeh, Rachel A.; Djagoun, Chabi A. M. S.; Tomsett, Louise; Bearder, Simon K. (2022). "A new species of tree hyrax (Procaviidae: Dendrohyrax) from West Africa and the significance of the Niger–Volta interfluvium in mammalian biogeography". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 194 (2): 527–552. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab029.
^Butynski, T.; Dowsett-Lemaire, F.; Hoeck, H. (2015). "Dendrohyrax dorsalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T6410A21282601. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T6410A21282601.en.
^Rosti, Hanna; Pihlström, Henry; Bearder, Simon; Pellikka, Petri; Rikkinen, Jouko (December 2020). "Vocalization Analyses of Nocturnal Arboreal Mammals of the Taita Hills, Kenya". Diversity. 12 (12): 473. doi:10.3390/d12120473. hdl:10138/323576.
^Estes, Richard D. (1999). The Safari Companion. Chelsea Green Publishing Company. ISBN 1-890132-44-6.
The treehyrax or tree dassie is a small nocturnal mammal native to Africa. Distantly related to elephants and sea cows, it comprises the four species...
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treehyrax (Dendrohyrax arboreus), also known as the southern tree dassie, is a species of mammal in the family Procaviidae. The southern treehyrax is...
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species of hyrax have been hunted by crowned eagles. The greatest level of predation for this family has been directed at Southern treehyrax (Dendrohyrax...
climate is less extreme. Various species of monkeys, several antelopes, treehyrax, porcupines, and some larger animals such as elephants and buffalo all...
able to climb, but hunt primarily on the ground. They mainly feed on treehyrax, rodents, but also hunt birds, small monkeys, duikers, young of giant...
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(Cephalophus spadix), Zanj sun squirrel (Heliosciurus undulatus), and eastern treehyrax (Dendrohyrax validus). There are nine endemic species of reptiles in the...
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