Rock Hyrax
Rock Hyrax
Flights of Fancy
ABout Rock Hyrax

THEY MAY LOOK LIKE RODENTS, BUT HYRAX ARE ACTUALLY MORE CLOSELY RELATED TO ELEPHANTS. YOU WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO TELL BY THEIR SIZE — AN ELEPHANT IS MORE THAN A THOUSAND TIMES BIGGER!

The incredibly shy rock hyrax is native to Africa. These animals have rubber-like feet with a hollow middle, like a suction cup. This allows them to scurry quickly over rock faces to avoid predators and dash into the tiny holes in the rock wall that they call home.

These herbivores’ favorite foods are plants, berries and flower buds, but their diet also includes several poisonous plants. Amazingly, rock hyrax can eat plants that are too dangerous for other animals to eat because of their hardy three-chambered stomach.

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Facts & Statistics
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Average Size
15 to 23 inches, weight 4 to 12 pounds
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Native Region
Africa, Middle East
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Eating Habits
Berries, grass and fruit
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Conservation Status
Least Concern
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Come see for yourself.

Look no further. Connect with our amazing animals and learn about the wild places they come from.

Where are they at the Zoo?
The rock hyraxes are located in the Flights of Fancy.
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