Hyraxes are small furry mammals of Africa and South Asia, whose diet consists of plants and fruit. Oddly enough, the nearest relatives of the hyrax among other mammals are the:
A) Bears B) Elephants ü C) Giraffes D) Lions and tigers
There are two species of rock hyrax and six of tree hyrax. The latter are also known as “dassies”. The common ancestor of both elephants and hyraxes also gave rise to the sea cows (dugongs and manatees). With such imposing kindred, it is perhaps not surprising that some extinct hyraxes were as large as oxen, a far cry from the rabbit-sized species of the present day.
