Rock Hyrax

Family: Heterohyrax                                   Africa

Hyrax, also called cony or coney, is the name of a family of rabbit-sized animals that resemble guinea pigs. There are seven species of hyraxes. They are found in Africa and southwestern Asia. Hyraxes have short legs, ears, and tails. They have ridges on their feet and broad nails on their toes. They are related to the hoofed animals and probably are most closely related to elephants. Some hyraxes live on rocky hills and others live in trees. The cry of the species that lives in western Africa has been described as "agonized screeching."