Pliohyrax (SciiFii)

The European hyrax (Pliohyrax gracilis) is a species of mammal belonging to the hyrax family that originally lived in Afghanistan, France, and Turkey as an extinct species of Pliohyrax during the Miocene to the Pliocene, and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced to the modern wetlands, forests, open woodlands, grasslands, and mountains across Europe to help boost biodiversity. The European hyrax is a very large member of the hyracoid family, standing around 510–610 mm (20–24 inches) tall at the shoulder and is about 1.0–1.5 meters (3 feet 3 inches–4 feet 11 inches) long. It weighs between 16 and 27 kilograms (35 and 60 lbs). It is a diurnal and cursorial species and is a browser, feeding primarily on leaves, pine needles, shrubs, fruits, twigs, bark, and mosses. As with many other hyraxes, the European hyrax is a social animal that lives in small herds consisting of up to around 50 individuals at a time, led by a dominant male with the slightly larger tusk-like teeth. These canine teeth are primarily user for defense against any potential predators such as lions, but they are also used during the mating season, when males use them to attempt to win a right to mate with the herd's females. After a gestation period of around five to six months, the female European hyrax leaves the herd to give birth alone. She produces one to three, but rarely four, offspring at a time. Weighing no more than 1 to 1.5 pounds, these newborn are dependent on the mother and her older sisters. The rest of the herd is not trusted with the young. European hyraxes develop rapidly over a short period of time. The young is fully weaned off its mother’s milk at two to three months of age. That bonding ends when a new calf is born, and the mother then keeps her previous offspring at bay with teeth jabs. Nevertheless, the yearling follows its mother for another year or so. Females reach sexual maturity between eight and 14 months, while males reach sexual maturity at a more consistent 11 months. Males leave their mothers when they are more than 3 months old and join the bachelor groups. The conservation status of the European hyrax is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the European hyrax's wide range.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii