蹄兔目（Hyracoidea）,源自希臘文ὕραξ (húrax,「鼩鼱」),意指這些物種的外型很像鼩鼱.

Hyracoidea, from Greek ὕραξ (húrax, “shrewmouse”), in reference to the fact that these species resemble shrewmouses in appearance.

種的俗名 Common names of members

蹄兔.

Hyraxes.

分佈 Distribution

撒哈拉以南非洲和中東.

Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.

體型 Size

平均體重為 2.27 公斤,體長為 52 公分.

On average, their weight is 2.27 kg, and their length is 52 cm.

形態描述 Morphology

牠們看起來很像豚鼠.身體覆蓋著長長的、毛茸茸的灰褐色毛皮,腹部顏色較淺.耳朵周圍有白色的毛邊,毛發在尖端處顏色較淺.牠們有長長的觸鬚.尾巴短,後足有三個腳趾,兩個腳趾上有幾乎像蹄子的指甲.生活在乾燥和溫暖區域的岩豚毛髮較短,而樹棲岩豚和高山地區的岩豚則擁有厚實、柔軟的毛髮.

They look a lot like guinea pigs. Their body is covered in long, fluffy, grey-brown fur, with a paler underside. There is a white hair fringe around the ears, and the hair is paler at the points. They have long vibrissae. Have short tails and 3-toed hind feet with almost hoof-like nails on two of the toes. Arid and warm zones living hyraxes have short fur, tree Hyraxes and alpine areas living hyraxes have thick, soft fur.

生態與棲息地 Habitat & Ecology

牠們生活在潮濕的稀树草原、多岩石的地方、潮濕的低地森林、潮濕的低地森林、亞熱帶或熱帶乾燥森林、潮濕的稀樹草原. 

They live in moist savanna, rocky places, lowland forests that are damp, lowland forests that are moist, subtropical or tropical dry forests, and moist savanna. 

食性 Diet

牠們是草食性動物.牠們吃各種植物元素,包括多汁的水果、堅硬的種子、嫩枝、芽、葉柄和葉子.物種繁多,無法一一列舉,但一些例子包括 Podocarpus falcatus、Hypericum revolutum 和 Hagenia abyssinica.

They are herbivores. They eat a wide variety of plant elements, including the juicy fruit, hard seeds, twigs, shoots, petioles, and leaves. There are too many species to name them all, but some examples are Podocarpus falcatus, Hypericum revolutum, and Hagenia abyssinica. 

繁殖 Reproduction 

根據物種的不同,雌性在七到八個月的懷孕期間可以產下多達四隻幼仔.幼仔在斷奶後的16-17個月達到性成熟,斷奶期為3-5個月.牠們是以一雄一妻雌的家庭生活在小型群體中,雄性會激烈地保護領土不受入侵者侵犯.在生活空間充裕的區域,雄性可能是唯一能接觸到多個雌性群體的個體,每個群體都有自己獨立的領土.存活下來的雄性只與年輕雌性交配,並過著孤獨的生活,經常位於大型雄性主導的領土邊緣.

Depending on the species, females can give birth to up to four children following a gestation period of seven to eight months. The young are sexually mature at 16–17 months after being weaned during a period of 3-5 months. They are a monogamous family living in tiny groups, with one male fiercely guarding the territory against intruders. In areas with lots of living space, the male might be the only one with access to several groups of females, each with their own territory. The surviving males mate only with younger females and lead solitary lives, frequently on the outskirts of territories dominated by larger males. 

已知的物種

Total species known

5

博物館收藏的物種

Species in the collection

2

在香港已知的物種

Species in Hong Kong

0

References

Pough, F. H., Janis, C. M., Heiser, J. B. (2012). Vertebrate Life. Pearson.

Macdonald, D. W. (2006). The Encyclopedia of mammals. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780199206087.001.0001.

Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Milner, J. M., Harris, S. (2002). Activity patterns and feeding behaviour of the tree hyrax, Dendrohyrax arboreus, in the Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda. African Journal of Ecology, 37(3), 267-280. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2028.1999.00184.x.   

Gaylard, A., Kerley, G. I. H. (1997). Diet of Tree Hyraxes Dendrohyrax arboreus (Hyracoidea: Procaviidae) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Journal of Mammalogy, 78(1), 213–221. https://doi.org/10.2307/1382654.