Western tree hyrax – Dendrohyrax dorsalis

By Hanna Rosti4.4.2022 ( 3 )

*Dendrohyrax dorsalis* family, male, female and one juvenile from Plzen Zoo, Czech. (October 2021). In this species female (up) is larger than male (down), juvenile is on the right.

Six subspecies have been recognized, and resently Oates et al. (2022) described one as Dendrohyrax interfluvialis from Benin.

Coat is dark brown/black with clear, large, white back patch.

*Dendrohyrax dorsalis* from Ostrava Zoo, Czech

Compared to other Dendrohyrax species they are more calm and less shy. They call less frequently.

Dendrohyrax dorsalis calls recorded from Ostrava zoo in October 2021. Family, again male, female and one offspring are calling together about three am in the morning.

Listen to the call of D dorsalis, call is the same as in spectrogram.

IUCN Red List assessment Least Concern LC

D. dorsalis range extends from Guinea to Uganda. Map from IUCN assessment (Butynski et al. 2014).

D. dorsalis is found in moist lowland forests and moist savannas to an altitude of 1500 m asl.

There are no behavioral studies of the species. Group structure is unknown.

In fact it is very difficult to find any articles about D. dorsalis.

Herbivorous, eats mainly leaves, shoots and seeds.

In many parts of the range births happen throughout the year.

Key reference: Shultz, S. & Roberts, D. (2013) ‘Dendrohyrax dorsalis Western tree hyrax’ In: Mammals of Africa. Bloomsbury. London.

Sources:

Butynski, T., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Hoeck, H. 2015. Dendrohyrax dorsalis. The IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species 2015: e.T6410A21282601. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-
2.RLTS.T6410A21282601.en

Oates, J.F. et al. (2021) ‘A new species of tree hyrax (Procaviidae: (Dendrohyrax) from West Africa and the significance of the Niger–Volta interfluvium in mammalian biogeography’, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, p. zlab029. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab029.