Stocky, rabbit-like mammal with short ears and no external tail. Upper parts gray through gray-brown to ocher, flanks and underparts, including inside of limbs and throat, paler and buffish. Large glands on back sometimes surrounded by more yellow-orange hair, but this feature is variable. Coat short and dense, liberally scattered with much longer, touch-sensitive hairs. Feet distinctive: forefoot with four very short toes; hind feet with three, one of which is elongat­ed, separated from the others with a curious, curved claw, and used as a grasping toe. Neck very short giving the impression that the head is just stuck straight onto the body. Snout pointed but short. Nasal region naked and black. Whiskers well-developed and black. Eyes rather large and dark with pale patch often visible above eye. Ears small and rounded with paler patch behind base. External tail absent.

Procavia capensis occurs throughout most of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula with the exception of the Congo basin and Madagascar. It is the most arid-adapted of hyrax species, and its range includes dry mountainous regions in the Namib, Sahara, and Arabian deserts.

Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )

46 records. Latest 2009 (South Sinai).

Narrow (syriaca in Sinai, ruiceps in Eastern Desert). AOO=163.8 km². EOO=171659 km². 7 locations

Narrow (sub-Saharan Africa,  through northeast  to Syria, Turkey and the Arabian peninsula; isolated populations in Algeria and Libya).

Hyraxes are the smallest of the subungulate mammals and are similar in appearance to woodchucks. Members of this species have a single pair of long, strong, tusk-like incisors, and their molars are similar to the cheek teeth of rhinoceroses. Total length for adults ranges from 305 to 550 mm, and tail length ranges from 11 to 24 mm. Hindfoot length ranges from 65 to 76mm, and ear length ranges from 27 to 38 mm. These hyraxes are heavily built for their size, weighing as much as 4.3 kg. Males (4 kg) are slightly larger than females (3.6 kg) and have blunter features and thinner bodies with thicker necks than females. The tusks of males are larger and sharper than those of females. Males also have a larger larynx and larger guttural pouches, which help to amplify their territorial calls. Hyrax eyes contain a special membrane called the umbraculum that is thought to shield the eye from the sun.

The forefeet of Procavia capensis have four toes and are plantigrade, while the hindfeet have three toes and are semi-digitigrade. All of the toes have rounded nails resembling hooves, except the inside rear toe, which is equipped with a claw that is used in grooming. Procavia capensis has mesaxonic feet in which the plane of symmetry passes through the third digit. The soles of the feet have large, black pads that are moistened by sweat glands, increasing their cohesion to rocky substrates.

The coat of Procavia capensis is dense and rough, with a thick undercoat and long guard hairs scattered throughout. Long, black vibrissae, used as haptic receptors, are found on the back and around the mouth. Pelage color is highly variable among subspecies, ranging from gray, to yellow-brown, to dark brown. The dorsum is usually darker than the flanks, and the venter tends to be a paler cream-color. In the cape region of Africa, pelage color corresponds with environmental moisture; animals living in wetter areas have darker coats, and those living in more arid regions have paler coats. A patch on the dorsum is surrounded by longer hairs in a contrasting color that may be black, yellow, or orange. Underneath this patch is a bare spot containing a dorsal gland specific to hyraxes that secretes pheromones, which are likely used to mark rocks and help young imprint on their mother. Pheromone production is most pronounced during mating season.

Range mass: 4.3 (high) kg.

Average mass: 3.8 kg.

Range length: 305 to 550 mm.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: male larger; sexes shaped differently; ornamentation

Average basal metabolic rate: 4.954 W.

ssp syriaca length 35-57 cm, ssp ruiceps 46-48 cm and weight 4.3 kg.

Currently only a single sp of Procavia is recognised. Osborn & Helmy (1980) identiied ssp ruiceps Hemprich & Ehrenberg in the Eastern Desert, and ssp syriaca Schreber in Sinai. 

• Terrestrial

Procavia capensis is commonly found in arid land habitat including deserts, savannas and scrub forests. It lives in rocky areas with moderate vegetative cover and many rock crevices and cavities, the latter of which are used as shelter. Although it does not burrow, it does inhabit abandoned burrows, including those of aardvarks and meerkats. Even when traveling between suitable habitats, rock hyraxes do not normally stray from areas with some form of cover or refuge.

Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland ; scrub forest

Other Habitat Features: agricultural

Entirely restricted to rocky areas with cliffs and availability of acacia.

Rock hyraxes are primarily grazers and forage on many different plant species per foraging bought; however, regional preferences have been documented. For example, giant lobelia and certain daisy species are preferred on the west slope of Mt. Kenya, swampy vegetation is eaten close to the bottoms of valleys, and lowland forage includes new shoots, fruits, berries, and figs. Grasses make up 78% of the diet during the wet season, but only 57% during the dry season. When conditions are moist, either during the wet season or after a rainfall, rock hyraxes show a preference for new shoots, buds, and leaves. During drought, they may eat coarse material such as bark, lichens, and liverworts. Daily food consumption varies with body weight, and plant water content has a significant influence on the amount of food that is ingested. Rock hyraxes may travel up to 60 m from their burrows to forage but may travel further during a drought. When grazing, individuals maintain their spacing and remaining vigilant for potential predators.

The feeding habits of rock hyraxes are comparable to those of ungulates. Giraffes and elephants are their most likley competitors for food. Hyraxes can feed very rapidly and entire colonies may spend less than one hour per day feeding. Most feeding is concentrated in two feeding periods of about twenty minutes: one about three hours after sunrise and the other about two hours before sunset. Rock hyraxes do not manipulate or carry their food, and they use their feet only to reach or hold twigs. While foraging, they often hold their head at a 90˚ angle to best utilize their wide gape, and they bite off large amounts of vegetation. By eating large amounts of food quickly, and spending most of their time resting, rock hyraxes are able to survive on resources too sparse or nutrient-poor to support more active mammals of a comparable size.

Plant Foods: leaves; wood, bark, or stems; fruit; bryophytes

Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore )

Rock hyraxes are the dominant herbivores in rocky areas throughout their geographic range. They are preyed upon by a number of different vertebrate species and are known to host up to 25 species of lice.

Commensal/Parasitic Species:

• lice (Pthiraptira)

Except in high mountainous areas, leopards are the main predator of Procavia capensis. Hyraxes may also be preyed upon by snakes (e.g., Egyptian cobras and puff adders), eagles (e.g., Verreaux’s eagles and martial eagles), owls, jackals, African wild dogs, and various cat species (e.g., servals, caracals and lions). Neonates are sometimes preyed upon by mongooses. Procavia capensis evades predators by staying alert and remaining close to cover while foraging. Individuals immediately respond to the alarm calls of territorial males and to the calls of other species such as bush hyraxes and some birds. Hyraxes also avoid predators by using burrows that are smaller in diameter than most predators in their habitat. They have been known to escape predation by playing dead, or by working together to scare off smaller predators from the safety of a burrow.

Known Predators:

• Egyptian cobra (Naja haje)
• puff adder (Bitis arietans)
• Verreaux's eagle (Aquila verreauxii)
• martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus)
• owls (Strigiformes)
• jackals (Canis)
• African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus)
• serval (Leptailurus serval)
• caracal (Caracal caracal)
• lion (Panthera leo)
• mongooses (Herpestidae)

All of the senses of rock hyraxes are well-developed, although their near-vision is thought to be relatively poor. Hyraxes have a variety of vocal calls. Territorial calls are distinct and genus-specific. In rock hyraxes, territorial calls are loud and repetitious and increase in volume and duration towards the end of the sequence before ending in a series of guttural noises. Adults also emit twittering or whinnying calls and striking alarm calls, which are made when a potential predator is identified. When threatened, they may growl or grind their molars. Infants make only five of the twenty-one sounds used by adults; three of these are vocal, including mewing calls given when they are lost or begging, and two are non-vocal. Between 2 to 15 months of age, young develop all vocal sounds except five; four of which are exclusive to adult females and one is characteristic of adult males.

Rock hyraxes urinate on the sides of rocks near colony sites. Crystallized calcium carbonate present in the excretion makes a white stain used in visual communication. Hyraxes also deposit their droppings and urine in a common latrine, but it is unknown whether this serves any role in olfactory communication. The dorsal gland and hair surrounding it are important for communication among conspecifics. Pheromone production from the dorsal gland increases with increased stimuli. In an aggressive context, pheromone production is accompanied by a slight curling of the upper lip and piloerection of the neck hairs. During territorial calls, males crouch and raise their head with their jaws slightly agape. Hyraxes show submission by presenting their hindquarters, backing away, closing their dorsal gland, and/or flattening their ears. Submissive behaviors are very important, as simple interactions such as approaching or directly staring at another adult might be seen as a threat and the tusks can inflict fatal wounds. To avoid antagonizing other individuals, feeding or huddling individuals usually face away from each other.

Communication Channels: visual ; acoustic ; chemical

Other Communication Modes: pheromones ; scent marks

Perception Channels: visual ; acoustic

Mainly active by day with apparent peaks in early morn­ing and evening. Lives in colonies in rock crevices and dens on often inaccessible cliffs. Very alert with at least some members of the colony acting as lookouts and alerting others to danger with sharp alarm call. Adept climber, foot struc­ture allowing purchase on the smoothest of rocks. Sight excellent, hearing and scent good. Diet largely vegetarian and predominant­ly acacia leaves and seeds, though may take a wide range of other food including insects and small reptiles. Does not need to drink water. Predators include birds of prey (range of Verreaux's Eagle Aquila verreauxii almost exactly mirrors that of the Rock Hyrax in Africa, but it is very rare in Egypt), Jackals Canis aureus, Wild Cats Felis silvestris, and Leopards Panthera pardus. Mating in August/September. Males establish and defend territories. Mating brief and vigorous. After mating season, individuals mix freely again. Gestation 7.5-8 months. Litter size 1-6. Female nurses for 10 weeks and young reach sexual maturity after 16 months, adulthood at three years.