Dassie

Appearance
It's hard to believe this little fellow to be close related to the Elephant. The Rock Dassie i heavy built though and weight about 4 kg. The coat is short and course, yellowish or gray brown, with a tuft on the middle of the back, varying from black to yellowish. It lives in rocky scrub-covered in savannas, also in very dry areas, but never in dense forest.

Habits
The Dassies are very sociable and they live in colonies of up to 60 animals. They climb rocks very easily and jumps freely. Their feet have semi elastic rubber-like pads which are very helpful on steep slopes. They are only active during daytime, feeding mainly on grass but also leaves and fruits. When alarmed they hide in rocky clefts or under boulders