In honor of the UN’s International Day of Families, we present the hyrax–a species with a rather surprising family tree. These furry mammals are often mistaken for rodents, but they’re more closely related to the elephant and manatee. Hyraxes even sport tusk-like incisors like their elephant cousins. To stay warm, they spend much of their time sunbathing, an activity which makes them vulnerable to predators. But even hyrax families look out for one another—and a male hyrax will stand guard to watch for potential threats.
Celebrating the UN’s International Day of Families
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
It’s surströmming time
-
What the hay?
-
Digging the birds
-
Go Fly a Kite Day
-
Jamaica celebrates its independence
-
Saskatchewan s spookier side
-
Protecting endangered giants
-
Point Reyes National Seashore, California
-
Happy trails for the 21st century
-
Jan van Eyckplein in Bruges, Belgium
-
Pining for spring
-
A black heron canopy feeding in Botswana
-
The parenting of a piping plover
-
National Park Week continues
-
Barcelona bids farewell to summer
-
Poppies in bloom
-
Happy Thanksgiving!
-
King of the dinosaurs
-
Happy Thanksgiving from an expert face-stuffer
-
A big birthday for Big Bend
-
Glass footbridge in Zhangjiajie, China
-
Why you should thank a nurse today
-
Great gray owls in their nest, Finland
-
The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
-
Siblings Day
-
Mackerel forming a bait ball to avoid predators
-
Boating on the Bojo
-
The story of the poinsettia
-
Monarch butterflies, Pismo Beach, California
-
North Sea at sunset, Norddorf, Germany