It’s a hyrax! It looks like a rodent, but it’s genetically related to elephants – it has wee tiny tusks. They live in rocky, tortoisey areas all over Africa.
Second time I’ve seen this in a week! I’ve been there. It’s a rock hyrax, and I have some pictures of the hyrax on the tortoise’s back (though it wasn’t moving at the time.)
If a small, furry mammal is riding a tortoise backwards at -5 miles an hour, and they left the station at 1:46 p.m. on a Tuesday, when will they arrive in Piscataway, NJ, on February the first, 1968, if both were born on midwinter’s eve during a full moon?
It was at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, TX. They have this enclosed area; about half is taken up by black-footed penguins, the other half is this. The front part is a waist-high tank of cichlids, then behind that is sort of a rocky desert scene with the tortoise, the hyrax, a dik-dik, and a couple of parrots. I’m sure I’m forgetting other animals. Also, in that rock wall behind the tortoise there, there’s a window looking out over the lion exhibit. It’s a small zoo; if you really hurry, you can get through it in about an hour, but what’s there is really good.
What gets me is that the hyrax has enough stability (or ballast — no meals missed there!) that he is able to have more than one nice back-leg scratchie while riding. And the tortoise is completely oblivious….
@Robin (11), those were Hydrox cookies! Better than Oreos but they got blitzed by the Oreo campaigns and disappeared. I think I heard they’re coming back.
I love these tortoise riders. First the little black kitten, then a poodle, now a Hyrax. Who knew tortoises are the main mode of transportation for small animals? There’s also an hysterical video of a tortoise chasing a boxer puppy. I never knew tortoises could move that fast and it has the puppy totally freaked.
@Macy, from Wiki:
“The descendants of the giant hyracoids evolved in different ways. Some became smaller, and gave rise to the modern hyrax family. Others appear to have taken to the water (perhaps like the modern capybara), and ultimately gave rise to the elephant family, and perhaps also the sirenians (dugongs and manatees). DNA evidence supports this hypothesis, and the small modern hyraxes share numerous features with elephants, such as toenails, excellent hearing, sensitive pads on their feet, small tusks, good memory, high brain functions compared to other similar mammals, and the shape of some of their bones.[7]
Hyraxes are sometimes described as being the closest living relative to the elephant.[8] Although relatively closely related, not all scientists support the proposal that hyraxes are the closest living relative of the elephant. Recent morphological and molecular based classifications reveal the sirenians to be the closest living relatives of elephants, while hyraxes are closely related but form an outgroup to the assemblage of elephants, sirenians, and extinct orders like Embrithopoda and Desmostylia.[9]“
@ BatBlaster: FWIW, while I’ve never been knowledgeable about Hyraxes
(Rock or otherwise), I can offer, that when chewing on creek edge seagrass, Manatees have those snouts that they wiggle around adorably!!!
AND they’re decorated with long stiff whiskers which look like straw poking out of their moufs …..
katz–i love your comment!! i laughed so hard it’s like the punchline of a farside cartoon. also, that hyrax is too cute. it’s so itchy and casual while riding a tortoise backwards! that is one self-possessed hyrax.
He’s saying something in that vid, I just don’t know what. He’s so toothy. But that zookeeper is totally dissing his manhood in front of Hannah, the other hyrax, which makes me simultaneously laugh and feel guilty. “Aren’t YOU tough!”
Wildlife researcher Joy Adamson (of “Born Free”) had a pet rock hyrax named Patty. If I recall the book properly, Patty died of a combination of old age and over-indulgence in stolen whiskey.
If the groundhog is facing the wrong way on the tortoise it means 6 more weeks of summer!
I think that’s a hyrax.
It’s about time the Guvmint sorted out public transport.
It’s a hyrax! It looks like a rodent, but it’s genetically related to elephants – it has wee tiny tusks. They live in rocky, tortoisey areas all over Africa.
Hey, it’s a Dassie!
Rock hyrax maybe?
Hyrax ridin’ a tortoise! Fantastic.
HYRAX!!! It seems that he’s enjoying watching the world move away from him.
mutant mountain pig.
It’s a Rodent of Unusual Size, of course!!
Hyrax? I thought that was an oreo cookie.
Second time I’ve seen this in a week! I’ve been there. It’s a rock hyrax, and I have some pictures of the hyrax on the tortoise’s back (though it wasn’t moving at the time.)
Glix – where? where???
Isn’t this like the third time C.O. has put up a picture/vid of some animal riding on the back of a moving turtle/tortoise?
LMAO at the hovertext.
If a small, furry mammal is riding a tortoise backwards at -5 miles an hour, and they left the station at 1:46 p.m. on a Tuesday, when will they arrive in Piscataway, NJ, on February the first, 1968, if both were born on midwinter’s eve during a full moon?
–bossgripes.com
“I’m on a tortoise.”
It was at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, TX. They have this enclosed area; about half is taken up by black-footed penguins, the other half is this. The front part is a waist-high tank of cichlids, then behind that is sort of a rocky desert scene with the tortoise, the hyrax, a dik-dik, and a couple of parrots. I’m sure I’m forgetting other animals. Also, in that rock wall behind the tortoise there, there’s a window looking out over the lion exhibit. It’s a small zoo; if you really hurry, you can get through it in about an hour, but what’s there is really good.
I’m taking my tiiiiiiime, going the wrong waaaaaay….
LaureninGeorgia, I was totally thinking ROUS myself. And a cute one, at that!
What gets me is that the hyrax has enough stability (or ballast — no meals missed there!) that he is able to have more than one nice back-leg scratchie while riding. And the tortoise is completely oblivious….
Do we a new rule Re: animals riding on the backs of Tortoises?
@Theresa LOL
Blorpular Transit!
The tusks, they kill me:
Silly people. That’s not a hyrax, that’s an Ewok!
Micky: “Awww geeze Rock, this isn’t what I meant when I said you wuz gonna ride yer way to the top!”
Hyraxes are supposedly related to elephants, and this one obviously is pretty smart.
OMG pokemon!!!!one!!!!eleventy
thelibrarianne: Aww, it’s barking like a little dog!
It makes a pretty weird sound. I think it’s saying Batman.
Theresa, you just cracked me up!
Rock hyraxes seem to have no expectation that rocks will remain in place.
Is the hyrax related to the Lorax?
And does the tortoise even KNOW he’s got a hitchhiker???
I would name that hyrax “Brutha.”
Tortie: jeeze-louise, would it kill you to lose a few pounds?
Hyrax: yes it would and stop calling me Louise.
lol @ marthava (#28)
@Robin (11), those were Hydrox cookies! Better than Oreos but they got blitzed by the Oreo campaigns and disappeared. I think I heard they’re coming back.
I love these tortoise riders. First the little black kitten, then a poodle, now a Hyrax. Who knew tortoises are the main mode of transportation for small animals? There’s also an hysterical video of a tortoise chasing a boxer puppy. I never knew tortoises could move that fast and it has the puppy totally freaked.
That ain’t no hare.
OMG, the scratching action!
@T.U.M. – lol
Ok this one is awasome.
HYRAX FTW.
Did that thing just say “Hannah?!”
Ten points to LaureninGeorgia for the awesome Princess Bride ref!
And wow, they BARK? A barking, travelling, elephant-groundhog thingy? Nice to meet you hyrax!
If that is a Rock Hyrax, shouldn’t it be wearing a bandanna and have tattoos on it’s leeetle front legs?
Oh those widdle tusks! Sweet!
@MamaLana
“widdle”
…..grrrrr…. must. learn. tolerance…. grrrr….grumble grumble… urghhhh…..
@thelibrarianne: That thing is scary!!
its not related to the elephant and its looks nothing like one and it has buck teeth! and it does look like a ground hog
@Macy, from Wiki:
“The descendants of the giant hyracoids evolved in different ways. Some became smaller, and gave rise to the modern hyrax family. Others appear to have taken to the water (perhaps like the modern capybara), and ultimately gave rise to the elephant family, and perhaps also the sirenians (dugongs and manatees). DNA evidence supports this hypothesis, and the small modern hyraxes share numerous features with elephants, such as toenails, excellent hearing, sensitive pads on their feet, small tusks, good memory, high brain functions compared to other similar mammals, and the shape of some of their bones.[7]
Hyraxes are sometimes described as being the closest living relative to the elephant.[8] Although relatively closely related, not all scientists support the proposal that hyraxes are the closest living relative of the elephant. Recent morphological and molecular based classifications reveal the sirenians to be the closest living relatives of elephants, while hyraxes are closely related but form an outgroup to the assemblage of elephants, sirenians, and extinct orders like Embrithopoda and Desmostylia.[9]“
That hyrax isn’t going the wrong way. A hyrax always has a plan.
I thought hyraxes had thouse snouts that they wiggle around adorably.
It’s a rock hyrax
Am I the only one who can understand that bark?? It’s saying “Hyrax! Hyrax!”
Actually, it sounds a lot like “Gollum! Gollum!”
@ BatBlaster: FWIW, while I’ve never been knowledgeable about Hyraxes
(Rock or otherwise), I can offer, that when chewing on creek edge seagrass, Manatees have those snouts that they wiggle around adorably!!!
AND they’re decorated with long stiff whiskers which look like straw poking out of their moufs …..
Signed,
Just saw it about 3 weeks ago
hahaha that’s so cute…I wonder if the tortoise is aware of what’s riding on its back…
katz–i love your comment!! i laughed so hard
it’s like the punchline of a farside cartoon. also, that hyrax is too cute. it’s so itchy and casual while riding a tortoise backwards! that is one self-possessed hyrax.
He’s saying something in that vid, I just don’t know what. He’s so toothy. But that zookeeper is totally dissing his manhood in front of Hannah, the other hyrax, which makes me simultaneously laugh and feel guilty. “Aren’t YOU tough!”
He beings by saying SHADDUP over and over then he says HANNAH then he says PSZCYTHX.
*begins
(sheesh I’m embaressed)
Wow, well, I for one feel that at this point there should probably be a tag for “things riding tortoises”.
Well, I thought that thing was cute until I watched the video of it trying to hock a seriously stubborn loogie…
Baby Hyraxes!
http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/hyrax/
Rock hyraxes can be scary. I was bitten by one once (ok, I was feeding it and let it get too close). They also make a weird noise.
It’s a Turtaxi!!!
Jessica, you made me LOL.
@Emily: That would make a good idea for a video game. Going across an area you can’t walk or fly across on tortiseback.
LOL, so funny.
It’s also a Dassie,
http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_rock_dassie.html
OMG that video! The barking slays me.
Wildlife researcher Joy Adamson (of “Born Free”) had a pet rock hyrax named Patty. If I recall the book properly, Patty died of a combination of old age and over-indulgence in stolen whiskey.
lol! so funny! Jennifer Cisowski
hey, jennifer cisowski,
how about every time you plant your name on cuteoverload we add “has bad credit?”
Two thumbs up and a snap to Saffron who just made me snort my milk out my nose and say “Hannah” at the same time!!