Page 1 of 3

Rock Hyrax / Dassie

Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 10:24 am
by Flutterby
We saw these dassies near Masorini picnic spot. I have never seen dassies climbing trees before...is this normal?

Image

Image

Image

Re: Rock Hyrax / Dassie

Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 10:37 am
by Toko
It's very normal :-) I have seen lots of DITs \O but never in Kruger :-(

They eat any vegetation from grass to tree leaves. But they feed mostly on grasses, and supplement their diet with herbage, leaves, berries, fruit, and the bark of trees during the dry season. They have a tolerance for eating highly poisonous plants.

Re: Rock Hyrax / Dassie

Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 10:54 am
by Toko
Rock Dassie feeding on a branch of a Candelabra-Tree Euphorbia cooperi

Image

Re: Rock Hyrax / Dassie

Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:03 pm
by Flutterby
Tx Toko! \O

Re: Rock Hyrax / Dassie

Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 4:41 pm
by Flutterby
From Wikipedia:

Hyraxes feed on a wide variety of different plants, including both grasses and broad-leafed plants. They also have been reported to eat insects and grubs. The rock hyraxes forage for food up to about 50 metres from their refuge, usually feeding as a group and with one or more acting as sentries from a prominent lookout position. On the approach of danger, the sentries give an alarm call, and the animals quickly retreat to their refuge. They are able to go for many days without water due to the moisture they obtain through their food. Despite their seemingly clumsy build, they are able to climb trees, and will readily enter residential gardens to feed on the leaves of citrus and other trees.

Re: Rock Hyrax / Dassie

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 7:40 pm
by Penga Ndlovu
Image

Re: Rock Hyrax / Dassie

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 7:45 pm
by Amoli
Lovely pic PN.. ^Q^ ^Q^

Re: Rock Hyrax / Dassie

Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2013 8:09 pm
by Penga Ndlovu
Thanks Amoli. \O

Re: Rock Hyrax / Dassie

Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 8:39 am
by Flutterby
Cutie! :-)

Re: Rock Hyrax / Dassie

Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 6:55 pm
by Dewi
-O Love it. \O