Name:

The name Dassie Rat is derived from the Afrikaans word for a hyrax; “dassie”, and is a rather apt name as Rock Hyrax co-habit the same rocky outcrops that the Dassie Rats enjoy, and superficially, a Dassie Rat resembles a young hyrax, that is until its long fluffy tail is spotted! The Dassie Rat’s alternative name is the Noki.

Fun Facts:

Dassie Rats are well known for their ability to wedge themselves into extremely narrow crevasses from which they are almost impossible to extract. They have evolved narrow, flattened skulls and very flexible ribs to master this talent. Female Dassie Rats even have teats on the sides of their torso, rather than underneath, so that their young can nurse in the very confined and narrow spaces in which they den.

Sources:

• https://www.rockjumperbirding.com/the-dassie-rat-an-unique-rodent-by-adam-riley/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dassie_rat

You can also enjoy this picture of a Hyrax, which I originally got from Wikimedia Commons for this post since it was listed as a “South African Dassie”, before investigating further since it did not look optimized for narrow spaces…

the page: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:South_African_Dassie.jpg