dasse

Dasse, also known as the rock dassie or rock hyrax, is a small, furry mammal belonging to the order Hyracoidea. These herbivores are native to Africa and the Middle East, inhabiting rocky outcrops, cliffs, and mountainous regions. Despite their rodent-like appearance, dassies are not rodents but are more closely related to elephants and manatees, a surprising evolutionary connection.

Physically, dassies are stocky animals with rounded ears, short legs, and long tails. Their fur is typically brownish-grey, providing camouflage against their rocky environment. They possess specialized, soft, ridged pads on the soles of their feet, which allow them to grip and climb sheer rock faces with remarkable agility. Dasses are social animals and live in colonies, often called "clans," which can range from a few individuals to several dozen. These colonies exhibit a hierarchical structure with a dominant male.

Their diet consists primarily of grasses, leaves, fruits, and bark. Dasses are diurnal, meaning they are most active during the day, foraging for food and basking in the sun. They have a unique thermoregulatory behavior, relying on external heat sources due to their relatively low metabolic rate. Predators include eagles, snakes, and various carnivores. Despite their small size, dassies are known for their sharp, high-pitched alarm calls, which they use to warn their colony of approaching danger.