Happy EleFACT Friday! Every week, we’ll be sharing interesting and educational facts about the species that we all know and love. We hope that we can help you learn something new about not only the girls in our sanctuary, but elephants around the world.
The elephant’s closest living relative is the Rock Hyrax, also called a rock rabbit or a dassie. You may be wondering how a creature that resembles a guinea pig is Bambi or Maia’s closest cousin. Like elephants, hyraxes also have tusks growing from their incisor teeth. In other mammalian species, tusks grow from the canines. Hyraxes also have flattened hoof-like nails like elephants do on the tips of their toes rather than the curved claws seen on other mammals.
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Cintia Abney says
February 12, 2021 at 1:05 pmWow! Never heard of Hyrax before!! Amazing! Where is their habitat?
Kat Blais says
February 12, 2021 at 5:34 pmRock hyraxes live throughout much of Africa and in Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and the Sinai and Arabian Peninsulas in rocky, scrub-covered areas.
Alana says
February 12, 2021 at 1:05 pmWOW! Who would have guessed! Interesting. Thanks. I think EleFACT is a great idea.
Melinda says
February 12, 2021 at 1:09 pmWow, that’s amazing! I never heard of that species! Thanks!
Julie says
February 12, 2021 at 2:00 pmNice! You started off strong on your weekly EleFACTs! I would never have guessed. Who is the second closest living relative?
Kat Blais says
February 12, 2021 at 5:35 pmSirenians which include manatees and dugongs.
Lois Steinberg says
February 12, 2021 at 3:45 pmI have observed the Rock Hyrax south of Cape Town, South Africa, as well as in Nambia. They live in large groups and are very shy and fascinating.
marion weber says
February 12, 2021 at 4:36 pmThe write up was interesting. I knew about the relationship but not about why….the tusks and the nails.
Katie Howard says
February 12, 2021 at 4:40 pmYeah, I KNOW this is correct – but it ain’t right! ?
Sunny says
February 12, 2021 at 9:01 pmI like elefact friday idea !
SHEILA says
February 12, 2021 at 9:44 pmYES KAT! I SAW A TV PROGRAM ABOUT THE ROCK HYRAX ! I STILL CANT BELIEVE THEY EQUATE TWO ATTRIBUTES OF ITS FANGS AND TOENAILS TO ELEPHANTS! ❤️?❤️ SEEMS BIZARRE‼️
Gayle Janzen says
February 13, 2021 at 2:12 amLove learning new elephants facts every Friday. Their close relatives are adorable. I do see a slight resemblance in their feet but would have never guessed they’re related.
John says
February 13, 2021 at 8:36 amLions and tigers and Rock Hyraxes. Oh my!
Kelejan says
February 13, 2021 at 12:50 pmIt opens our eyes to relations in the animal kingdom. Thank you, Kat.
Sherry says
February 13, 2021 at 2:34 pmThank you, enjoyed learning about Rock Hyraxes.
Sallie says
February 13, 2021 at 9:48 pmYou can always learn something new! Looking forward to every EleFACT/FRIDAY! Cannot wait for “Communicating with an Elephant”! Sounds, signals, movements that are positive and warning/warning negative! There is nothing more thrilling than walking with a small herd of orphans, knowing that they trust you and respect you. OK, you are still a puppy to them, but they do know who they can trust and actually have a fondness for . . .
Kelejan says
February 14, 2021 at 4:16 pmI think all of us on Earth are related. With time we all developed into different creatures of Mother Earth.
pbf says
April 2, 2023 at 1:32 amLate to the comments here, but driven to correct this. The closest relatives to Proboscidea (elephants) are Sirenia (manatees, dugongs). Together, these are the Tethytherians. Next closest are Hyracoidea (hyraxes). Together, these make up the group Paenungulata.
Heidi says
May 25, 2023 at 7:34 amThanks.. makes much more sense in my logic!
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