Guess whose cousin this is
VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Wed 9 Dec 2015 18:10
Here is a nice cute furry animal found just along the coast here:  The youngster is about the size of a Guinea pig, and equally tail-less. These are rock hyraxes Procavia capensis, known locally as dassies. There are four species, all now restricted to Africa and the Middle East but fossils have a much wider distribution. But what about their closest living relations? Guinea pigs, or rats? Rabbits? Beavers?? Here are a couple more shots to help you decide:  Bears, perhaps. Or more likely, marmots. Or gophers. Nope, all wrong. As you can see above they are quite agile, leaping around on the rocks and able to climb trees. Squirrels?  No, the answer is that their closest living relatives are ................. dugongs and elephants! Incredible but true. Sent from my iPad |