On their feet are flattened nails resembling hoofs. Hyraxes are active and agile despite their heavy build. They can run up steep, smooth surfaces with ease. The adult male is the leader and the most watchful, often keeping a lookout on a rock while others feed. If danger threatens he gives an alarm call.
Hyraxes rely on speed to flee danger, using the tips of their expanded toes for running.
Their nearest relatives, elephants, compensate for their slowness by size. They are rarely subject to predation, and they have to spend most of their time eating. Rock hyraxes have adopted a different evolutionary option. They have remained small, feed quickly, and seek protection in colonies among rocks and in burrows. Their method of cutting grass is quite different from other mammals because the upper incisors take the form of tusks and the lower form a forward-projecting grooming comb.