Southern tree hyrax

{{Speciesbox

| name = Southern tree hyrax{{MSW3 Hyracoidea | id = 11400004 | page = 87}}

| image = Tree-hyrax.jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Butynski, T. |author2=Hoeck, H. |author3=de Jong, Y.A. |date=2015 |title=Dendrohyrax arboreus |volume=2015 |page=e.T6409A21282806 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T6409A21282806.en |access-date=16 November 2021}}

| genus = Dendrohyrax

| species = arboreus

| authority = (A. Smith, 1827){{cite journal|last1=Smith|first1=Andrew|title=Descriptions of two Quadrupeds inhabiting the South of Africa, about the Cape of Good Hope.|journal=Transactions of the Linnean Society of London|date=1827|volume=15|issue=2|page=468|doi=10.1111/j.1095-8339.1826.tb00127.x|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/778737}}

| range_map = Southern Tree Hyrax area.png

| range_map_caption = Southern tree hyrax range

}}

The southern tree hyrax (Dendrohyrax arboreus), also known as the southern tree dassie, is a species of mammal in the family Procaviidae.{{Cite journal|last=Shorrocks|first=Bryan|date=2013-12-16|title=Mammals of Africa Volume 1. Introductory Chapters and Afrotheria Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffman Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina. Bloomsbury Publishing, London (2013) 351 pp. ISBN 978-1-4081-2251-8.|journal=African Journal of Ecology|volume=52|issue=2|pages=254–255|doi=10.1111/aje.12136|issn=0141-6707}} The southern tree hyrax is mainly found in the south central eastern side of Africa.

Description

The southern tree hyrax has a guinea pig-like appearance. It has long, soft, grey-brown fur that covers the body, while the underside is paler. Hairs are lighter near their tips and the ears have a fringe of white hair. They weigh about {{Convert|2.27|kg|lb|abbr=on}} on average, and have an average length of {{Convert|52|cm|in|abbr=on}}.{{Cite journal|last1=Milner|first1=Jos M.|last2=Harris|first2=Stephen|date=1999|title=Activity patterns and feeding behaviour of the tree hyrax, Dendrohyrax arboreus, in the Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda|journal=African Journal of Ecology|language=en|volume=37|issue=3|pages=267–280|doi=10.1046/j.1365-2028.1999.00184.x|issn=1365-2028|doi-access=free|bibcode=1999AfJEc..37..267M }}{{Cite book|title=A Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Tanzania|last=Foley, Charles, Sonstige|date=2014|publisher=Princeton University Press|oclc=1073875063}}

Distribution and habitat

It is found in Angola, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, and South Africa. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, moist savanna, and rocky areas. It may be found at elevations up to {{convert|4500|m|abbr=on}}.{{cite book|last=Kingdon |first=J. |date=1971 |title=East African Mammals: An Atlas of Evolution in Africa |volume=I |location= London |publisher=Academic Press Inc.|isbn=0124083013}}{{page needed|date=December 2018}}{{cite journal|last1=Milner|first1=J. M.|last2=Harris|first2=S.|title=Activity patterns and feeding behaviour of the tree hyrax, Dendrohyrax arboreus, in the Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda|journal=African Journal of Ecology|date=September 1999|volume=37|issue=3|pages=267–280|doi=10.1046/j.1365-2028.1999.00184.x|doi-access=free|bibcode=1999AfJEc..37..267M }}

Behaviour

The tree hyrax lives in trees and is mostly nocturnal, as opposed to the rock hyrax which lives among rocks and is mainly diurnal. It occurs singly, in pairs or in small groups, favouring hollow trees and dense foliage. Tree hyrax are extremely able climbers with remarkable balancing skills, they do walk on the ground, but will often 'bounce' along rapidly then stop and then move rapidly again to get to the next piece of cover. Its extraordinary call, heard mainly at night, is a series of blood-curdling shrieks building up to a crescendo. These territorial calls are produced mainly by the males.{{cite journal|last=Slattery |first=Derek M. |title=Kenya—the Rock and Tree Hyrax or Dassie |journal=PSA Journal |date=September 2003 |pages=29–31 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1306/is_9_69/ai_108694197/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308101728/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1306/is_9_69/ai_108694197/|archive-date=8 March 2010}}

Ecology

Martial and tawny eagles, leopards, lions, jackals, spotted hyenas, and snakes prey upon the southern tree hyrax. In Rwanda, the most common predators are feral dogs. The limited amount of time the hyrax spends on the ground at night may be a predator avoidance strategy. Humans sometimes also eat the hyrax.{{cite book|last=Hoeck |first= H. |date=2001 |chapter= Hyraxes |pages=448–451 |editor1-first=D. |editor1-last= Macdonald |editor2-first=S. |editor2-last=Norris |title=The New Encyclopedia of Mammals |location= Oxford, UK |publisher= Oxford University Press}}

The eastern tree hyrax (Dendrohyrax validus) was given ecological classification Near Threatened (NT) in 2015.

Diet

The southern tree hyrax is a herbivore. It consumes many different parts of the plants such as the leaves, petioles, twigs, shoots, fleshy fruit, and hard seeds.{{cite journal|last1=Gaylard|first1=A.|last2=Kerley|first2=G. I. H.|title=Diet of Tree Hyraxes Dendrohyrax arboreus (Hyracoidea: Procaviidae) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|date=1997|volume=78|issue=1|pages=213–221|doi=10.2307/1382654|jstor=1382654|doi-access=free}} Individual species are too many to list, but include Hagenia abyssinica, Hypericum revolutum, and Podocarpus falcatus.

Reproduction

Milner and Harris reported that they were unable to determine the mating system but speculated that it may be facultative monogamy/polygyny.

After a gestation period of 7 months, 1–2 young are born. At birth they are well developed and they weigh {{Convert|170-200|g||abbr=}}. In rescue conditions they can put on around 4% weight gain per day on a cows milk formula, however some youngsters do not thrive on this formula.

Very young hyraxes have poor coordination. At an estimated age of under one week they cannot follow their mothers along a branch, but their mobility skills develop rapidly. Within two weeks they will use a midden. They will eat a diverse range of leaves, shoots, bark, fruit, and flowers. Youngsters appear to learn what leaves to eat by both watching and tasting what the adult is chewing.

At about five months their fur develops darker spots often around guard hairs. The southern tree hyrax reaches maturity at about 12 months old.

Taxonomy

{{As of|2018}}, the most recent treatment of the genus Dendrohyrax retains D. validus as a full species.{{cite book|first1=J. |last1= Kingdon|first2=T. |last2= Butynski|first3=M. |last3=Hoffmann|first4=M.|last4= Happold|first5=J. |last5=Kalina|chapter=Genus Dendrohyrax |title= Mammals of Africa |volume=1|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|location=London|pages=152–171}}{{cite iucn | last1= Hoeck |first1= H. |last2= Rovero |first2= F. |last3=Cordeiro |first3= N. |last4= Butynski |first4= T. |last5= Perkin |first5= A. |last6= Jones |first6= T. | title = Dendrohyrax validus | volume= 2015 | page = e.T136599A21288090 | year = 2015 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T136599A21288090.en |doi-access=free }}