Hyraxes (from the Greek ,
hurax, "shrewmouse"), also called
dassies, are small, thickset, herbivorous
mammals in the
order Hyracoidea. Hyraxes are well-furred, rotund animals with short tails. Typically, they measure between long and weigh between . They are often mistaken for
rodents, but are more closely related to
elephants and
manatees.