: any of a family (Procaviidae) of small ungulate mammals of Africa and the Middle East characterized by thickset body with short legs and ears and rudimentary tail, feet with soft pads and broad nails, and teeth of which the molars resemble those of the rhinoceros and the incisors those of rodents
called alsoconey, dassie
Illustration of hyrax
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebTo find out more about the evolutionary history of LIF and its duplicates, Lynch found their counterparts in the genomes of closely related species: manatees, hyraxes and extinct mammoths and mastodons.Quanta Magazine, 7 Nov. 2017 Many hyraxes have taken residence within its walls and can be seen scrambling along the ruins during the cooler parts of the day.National Geographic, 16 Apr. 2019 The largest sea lions are twice as big as the largest bears, for example, and manatees outweigh their cat-size hyrax cousins by nearly 500 kilograms. Angus Chen, Science | AAAS, 26 Mar. 2018 Besides giraffes, the African exhibit will include a lion, hyrax, wildebeest and tortoise. The Associated Press, The Seattle Times, 29 May 2017 Ilany studies the rock hyrax, an African rodent-like mammal that isn’t monogamous but whose sexes look the same.National Geographic, 20 Feb. 2016 To figure out who's who around hyraxes, use your ears: Males sing to attract females, while females don't sing at all.National Geographic, 20 Feb. 2016 See More