Heterohyrax Research Articles

Bush Hyrax, Heterohyrax brucei, sunbathing on a flat rock in Mpala Ranch, Kenya. This species is smaller than the Rock Hyrax, Procavia capensis, and has darker, grey fur with more obvious white facial markings. Photograph reproduced by permission of Emmanuel Do Linh San.

EthologyVolume 123, Issue 9 p. i-i Front CoverFree Access Bush Hyrax, Heterohyrax brucei, sunbathing on a flat rock in Mpala Ranch, Kenya. This species is smaller than the Rock Hyrax, Procavia capensis, and has darker, grey fur with more obvious white facial markings. Photograph reproduced by permission of Emmanuel Do Linh San. First published: 17 August 2017 https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.12554AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume123, Issue9September 2017Pages i-i RelatedInformation

Do hyraxes benefit from human presence in Serengeti?

AbstractUnderstanding the factors affecting a species’ population size is crucial for conservation initiatives. Hyraxes are small, gregarious animals, predominantly found on kopjes (rock outcrops) and thus form metapopulation communities. In Tanzania, two species of hyraxes inhabit Serengeti National Park, the rock hyrax Procavia capensis johnstoni and bush hyrax Heterohyrax brucei. This study focuses on the factors that affect hyrax population size, including factors such as human presence, habitat type, kopje size and kopje height. We found that larger and taller kopjes tended to have more hyraxes than smaller ones, while kopjes in wooded grassland had more hyraxes than kopjes in grassland. Human presence often affects species negatively, but in the case of hyraxes, we found that kopjes with human presence had larger populations than kopjes without humans. We discuss possible explanations for this and suggest that human presence is related to fewer predators and higher food availability.

Population Size and Diet of Bush Hyrax <i>Hetrohyrax brucei</i> (Gray 1868) in the Isolated Romanat Michael Church Forest in Northern Ethiopia, Implication for Conservation

Fragmented sacred church forests in Ethiopia contribute about 5% of the vegetation cover in the country. These isolated forests harbour a variety of fauna and flora, including several indigenous species. A number of species in these forests however, are suffering from the effects of isolation and fragmentations which are poorly investigated issues. We studied population size and diet of bush hyrax, Heterohyrax brucei, in the isolated Romanat Michael church forest in Northern Ethiopia. The overall population size of the bush hyrax was about 20 individuals. The population suffered high adult mortality during the post-rainy season, between October and November. This season is also marked with the appearance of new pups. The bush hyraxes were observed predominantly browsing on the leaves, shoots, and flowers of 16 different plant species. There is a growing concern that the population may become locally extinct from demographic and/or genetic stochastic factors. We recommend immediate conservation measures to save the population from potential future factors causing an increase in the already high mortality rate.Keywords: Population size, Church forest, Diet, Heterohyrax brucei, Ethiopia.

Fluctuations in bush and rock Hyrax (Hyracoidea: Procaviidae) Abundances Over a 13-Year Period in the Matopos, Zimbabwe

Bush (Heterohyrax brucei) and rock (Procavia capensis) hyraxes (Hyracoidea: Procaviidae) are abundant small mammals and important prey for vertebrate carnivores in the Rhodes Matopos National Park (RMNP), southwestern Zimbabwe. We monitored hyraxes at 20 observation stations in the 424 km2 RMNP over a 13-year period (1993–2005). We identified hyraxes to species, and counted and aged them. From yearly counts and age distributions, we computed an index of relative abundance (AI - individuals/km2) and estimate of productivity (proportion of the sample comprising juveniles) for each species. Time series analysis showed that annual fluctuations in AI were marked, but not cyclic, with ranges of 0.4–113.8% (median = 30.0%) for Heterohyrax brucei and 3.7–64.7% (median = 11.0%) for Procavia capensis. Cross-correlation function revealed interspecific synchrony in annual fluctuation in numbers of individuals of the two species. A positive relationship existed between AI of H. brucei and rainfall of the previous aust...

A zoonotic focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

BackgroundCutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is endemic in the highlands of Ethiopia, and almost always caused by Leishmania aethiopica. Hitherto, Addis Ababa (the capital city of Ethiopia) was not considered endemic for CL, mainly due to absence of epidemiological and field ecological studies. This report summarizes the preliminary epidemiological investigation that proved the existence of active transmission in southeastern Addis Ababa.ResultsActive case finding surveys were conducted in 3 localities, Saris, Kality, and Akaki, which are found in and around Bulbula-Akaki river gorges. During the surveys conducted in January 2005 - May 2006, a total of 35 cases with 9 active and 26 healed skin lesions were identified. Eighteen of the cases (51.4%) were found in Saris; while 10 (28.6%) and 7 (20%) cases were from Kality and Akaki respectively.Ten colonies of rock hyraxes (Heterohyrax brucei) were identified in the vicinities of the 3 localities. Three of the 48 hyraxes (6.3%) trapped from the surroundings harbored natural infections of Leishmania aethiopica. Confirmation of the Leishmania species of the 3 isolates was achieved by PCR amplification and RFLP analysis of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. Based on sandfly species composition and proximity of resting sites to human settlements, Phlebotomus longipes is circumstantially proven to be the vector of CL in south east Addis Ababa.ConclusionThe study proves the existence of isolated zoonotic foci of CL in south eastern Addis Ababa, with P. longipes as the likely vector and H. brucei as the natural reservoir host.

Black Eagles and hyraxes — the two flagship species in the conservation of wildlife in the Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe

The Black Eagle (Aquila verreauxii) in the Matobo National Park is heavily dependent on two hyrax species, which form 98% of the diet. This raptor has been the subject of study in the Matobo Hills for the past 45 years. Its two main prey species, the Yellow-spotted Hyrax (Heterohyrax brucei) and the Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis), have been under study for the past 13 years. There are three categories of land use in the Matobo Hills — national park, commercial farmland and communal land — and therefore varying levels of protection for the raptor and its prey. Local communities within the Matobo Hills depend on the hyrax as their main source of protein. This heavy utilisation has lead to population declines in both the prey (hyrax) and the raptor in some areas. In an effort to reverse or reduce this imbalance, since 1995 wildlife conservation education programmes have been introduced, focusing on 21 schools immediately surrounding the Matobo National Park. This educational programme is aimed at conserving not only the Black Eagle and hyraxes but the whole biodiversity of the hills.

Seasonal variation in the degree of heterospecific association of two syntopic hyraxes ( Heterohyrax brucei and Procavia capensis ) exhibiting synchronous parturition

Adult rock hyrax (Procaviacapensis) and bush hyrax (Heterohyraxbrucei) allocate much of their surface activity to being vigilant for vertebrate predators. Individuals of the two species associate for thermoregulatory basking on rock outcrops (koppies) and, in the Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe, frequently constitute heterospecific groups that produce offspring synchronously. Exposure to predators during basking is thought to put a high premium on vigilance, particularly during the presence of dependent offspring in nurseries. We predicted, therefore, an increase in the association of the two species of hyraxes when offspring were present because this would lead to larger groups, thus enhancing the ability to detect predators. Koppie aggregations of hyraxes were classified as homospecific or heterospecific according to basking group composition. Heterospecific association increased when offspring were present, and heterospecific groups were larger than homospecific ones. Fifty-one percent of nurseries were heterospecific for adults/subadults. During the pre-weaning phase (<2 months after birth), 85% of P. capensis and 65% of H. brucei juveniles were in nurseries of heterospecific basking groups. Heterospecific groups had more offspring than homospecific groups. Juvenile mortality is most evident after young are weaned and heterospecific associations break down. Heterospecific aggregation, through increased group size, may result in a higher probability of avoiding predators, thereby reducing the vulnerability of young.

Islands on the plains: metapopulation dynamics and female biased dispersal in hyraxes (Hyracoidea) in the Serengeti National Park.

Two species of hyrax, Heterohyrax brucei and Procavia johnstoni, inhabit rock outcrops, or kopjes, in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Such distinct 'island' habitats provide an excellent model to investigate natural metapopulation dynamics with distinct small populations with extinction and colonization events, as well as migration between populations. Allele frequencies, genetic variability and genetic distances between populations were calculated based on DNA microsatellite markers. The genetic diversity in both species of hyrax, especially P. johnstoni, was surprisingly low: allelic diversity ranged from 2 to 7 alleles per locus. This may have been induced by colonization by a small number of individuals from single source populations. F-statistics, assignment tests and calculations of pairwise relatedness all indicated female-biased dispersal in H. brucei but not P. johnstoni. Values of FIS in P. johnstoni showed an excess of homozygotes indicative of high rates of inbreeding; evidence for inbreeding could not be detected in H. brucei. Although female dispersal patterns in H. brucei seem to prevent inbreeding and consequently reduce risk of local extinction, this seems not to be the case in P. johnstoni.

Population dynamics of two species of hyraxes in the Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe

Populations of the syntopic rock hyrax, Procavia capensis (Pallas), and yellow‐spotted rock hyrax, Heterohyrax brucei (Gray), in the 42,400‐ha Matobo National Park (MNP), Zimbabwe, were characterized from 1992 to 1996. The Procavia:Heterohyrax species ratio varied significantly (P&lt; 0.01) across years from 1.43:1.00 to 0.74:1.00. Estimates of abundance (31,114–39,869 Procavia and 21,833–46,619 Heterohyrax) and densities (0.73–0.94 Procavia ha−1 and 0.51–1.10 Heterohyrax ha−1) indicated that populations had experienced a considerable decline since 1978, with drought suspected as the principal cause. The Heterohyrax population fluctuated more than the Procavia population. Although sex ratios of individuals trapped and collected in 1991–92 did not differ from 1:1 for either species, female Procavia nearly outnumbered males (P&lt; 0.10) among the prey of black eagles (Aquila verreauxii Lesson), suggesting the possibility of divergence in the social organization and vigilance of the two species. In each year of the study, pups comprised &lt; 30% of individuals in the two populations after the interspecifically synchronous annual birth event in March–April, and evidence exists for an effect by drought on fecundity. Females appear to breed, on average, no more than every other year. We estimated juvenile (0–1 year of age) mortality at 52.4–61.3% for Heterohyrax and 59.6–75.6% for Procavia. Mean mass (±1 SE) of Procavia adults was 3.4±0.2 kg and of Heterohyrax adults, 2.4±0.1 kg. Procavia had a significantly (P&lt; 0.01) greater condition index (body mass/total length) than Heterohyrax. Adults are especially important reservoirs of biomass for the diverse and numerous predators of the MNP, accounting for &gt; 84% of hyrax biomass intraspecifically.

Species Composition and Age Structure of Remains of Hyraxes (Hyracoidea: Procaviidae) at Nests of Black Eagles

Hyraxes ( Procavia capensis and Heterohyrax brucei ) constitute the nearly exclusive prey of the black eagle ( Aquila verreauxii ) in the Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe. Skulls and mandibles of hyraxes were collected from within and beneath nests of 40 black eagles from October 1991 to May 1992. Skulls and mandibles of Heterohyrax were represented significantly more often ( P < 0.01) at eagle nests than those of the equally abundant but larger Procavia . About 68% of Procavia and 86% of Heterohyrax fragments of skulls and mandibles collected were those of adults. Differential susceptibility of hyraxes to predation can be explained in part by their comparative accessibilities and sizes as prey for optimally foraging black eagles.

THE INFLUENCE OF RAINFALL ON BLACK EAGLE BREEDING OVER 31 YEARS IN THE MATOBO HILLS, ZIMBABWE

Summary Gargett, V., Gargett, E. & Damania, D. 1995. The influence of rainfall on Black Eagle breeding over 31 years in the Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe. Ostrich 66: 114–121. The effect of rainfall from 1964 to 1994 on the annual reproductive rate and number of resident pairs of Black Eagles Aquila verreauxii in the Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe, and on the abundance of their staple prey, hyrax, Procavia capensis and Heterohyrax brucei is reviewed. The number of resident pairs of Black Eagles increased with increased rainfall, when hyrax numbers were estimated to be at a very high level. Subsequent poor rainfall years coincided with a decrease in the number of resident pairs, a smaller proportion of pairs breeding, a lower reproductive rate and a dramatic decline in prey numbers.

ECOLOGY AND TAXONOMY: A NEW APPROACH, USING HETEROHYRAX VS PROCAVIA AS A CASE STUDY

ABSTRACT Morphological and molecular characters for solving taxonomic problems have been employed for many years. A new method for resolving phylogenetic issues involves a synthesis of anatomical and ecological observations and can be used to predict one of three ecological parameters when the other two are known. Naturally occurring population densities of sympatric species, when carefully analyzed, can provide information on the phylogenetic relationships of these species if certain criteria are met. The major outline of this hypothesis is: (1) In a typical ecological pyramid, species which occupy a consumer trophic level coexist in a ratio (actual numbers) determined by whether they are euryphagous or stenophagous; (2) For a meaningful comparison, a pair of species must satisfy these Criteria: a) they are of the same taxonomic order; b) they are of approximately the same body size or of equal biomass; c) they are contemporaneous; and d) they are syntopic and sympatric. Examples: Heterohyrax brucei vs P...

Demography and competition in Hyrax

This study investigates the demography and interspecific interactions of 6 Heterohyrax brucei and 4 Procavia johnstoni populations, which inhabited 6 kopjes (rock outcrops) in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania over a period of 17 years. On three kopjes (H1, O2 and PH2) both species lived sympatrically, while on the other three (H2, H3 and P1) either one or the other species occurred allopatrically. The rainfall pattern between 1971/1972 and 1981/1982 had undergone major changes. There was significantly less precipitation in the wet season and the dry season had become extremer and longer. The kopje vegetation, recorded as percentage crown cover of browse from bushes and trees, had changed also, decreasing between 1971/72 and 1982 on 5 kopjes. In three kopjes (H1, O2 and PH2), which were shared by both hyrax species, an increase in the number of P. johnstoni, a decrease (H1 and O2) and extinction (PH2) of H. brucei took place between the time periods 1971-1976 ("good browse years") and 1982-1984 ("poor browse years"). These changes are probably the result of indirect interspecific competition (exploitative competition) for browse material, which is the main food source for both species during the dry season. When the browsing resources are abundant coexistence on sympatric kopjes between both species is possible, but when browse is scarce the result is competitive exclusion of H. brucei by P. johnstoni. It is also argued, that P. johnstoni by being the larger species and by also being a grazer had several ecological advantages over H. brucei. In kopjes H2, H3 and P1 where H. brucei occurred allopatrically the population increased (H2, P1) or decreased (H3) during the same time period. Natural extinction was observed in kopje P1 in the allopatrically living P. johnstoni group through mange. Dispersal of 7 females and 7 males H. brucei as well as 1 female and 4 male P. johnstoni were recorded in kopjes H1, H2 and P1. One female H. brucei that immigrated successfully into kopje H2 reached an age of over 11 years. One H. brucei family group (H2) shifted its birth season from December-January to May-August. Successful natural colonization was recorded for H. brucei in kopje P1 and for P. johnstoni in H1. Two kopjes (PH2 and H3), which had no hyrax and are located far away from other hyrax populations, were experimentally colonized in 1971 and 1972 respectively. The P. Johnstoni on PH2 and the H. brucei group on H3 had been under breeding isolation for 16 years. Under such conditions P. johnstoni males can reach an age of over 8.5 years. These long-term observations have shown that the occupancy of the kopjes by both species is a dynamic process depending on the combination of several abiotic (rainfall and availability of holes and hiding places) and biotic factors (interspecific and intraspecific competition for food, interspecific cooperation, predation and parasites) as well as the degree of inbreeding dependent on the geographic isolation of the kopje.

Comparative Aspects of Behavioural Development in Two Species of Free-Living Hyrax

AbstractFour measures of play behaviour of two species of sympatrically living hyrax Heterohyrax brucei and Procavia johnstoni, were studied on three rocky outcrops or kopjes in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. The amount of play shown by young of both species, born in 1981, declined during the study. Procavia played at a significantly higher rate than did Heterohyrax throughout this period. This was true even after differences in species' activity were taken into account. Procavia did not show higher rates of behaviour because they had more conspecifics with which to interact. The young of both species of hyrax played with members of the other species; Procavia significantly more so than Heterohyrax. The high rates of interspecific play in Procavia could be explained by their relatively low numbers compared to Heterohyrax on one kopje, but on the other two kopjes they appeared to actively seek out interactions with Heterohyrax. Interspecific differences in the behaviour of young of the two hyrax species were then related to interspecific differences in their adult behaviour. Adult Procavia exhibited higher scores than adult Heterohyrax on three measures of behaviour, reflecting corresponding differences in the play of the young of these species. These differences were found even when adult behavioural scores had been standardised for activity. Furthermore, adult Procavia showed more interspecific behaviour than adult Heterohyrax; a result similar to that found in the play of the young of the two species of hyrax.

Muscles of the masticatory apparatus in two genera of hyraces (Procavia and Heterohyrax).

Subungulate hyraces are similar to the condition assumed to have characterized primitive ungulates and subungulates by virtue of their small body size, relatively unspecialized cranial and postcranial anatomy, and primitive type of lophodont dentition. The muscles of mastication of Procavia habesssinica and Heterohyrax brucei are here compared with those of other mammals, both with ungulates, as an example of more specialized mammals, and with opossums, as an example of more generalized mammals, to determine aspects of hyrax myology that represent the retention of a condition primitive for herbivorous mammals. The masticatory muscles of hyraces retain the primitive ungulate/subungulate condition in the large, complexly subdivided temporalis, and in the enlarged, pinnated, bilayered medial pterygoid. The medial pterygoid originates from the pterygoid hamulus, a condition that may also be primitive for this assemblage. The large complex superficial masseter is derived compared with the condition in ruminant artiodactyls, but may represent the condition primitive for perissodactyls. The architectural modifications of this muscle in hyraces may represent adaptations to allow a wide gape threat display. Hyraces possess a posterior belly of the digastric alone, paralleling the condition in some perissodactyls. They possess a large and complexly subdivided styloglossus, which may be a shared derived character of subungulates. Hyraces are unique among ungulates and subungulates in the extreme reduction of the anterior hyoid cornua, and may be unique among mammals in the development of paired lingual processes from the ceratohyal ossifications.

THE FOOD REQUIREMENT OF A BLACK EAGLE CHICK

Summary Gargett, V. 1982. The food requirement of a Black Eagle chick. Ostrich 53:178-181. A hand-reared Black Eagle Aquila verreauxii chick that was fed on hyraxes, Heterohyrax brucei and Procavia capensis, ate 29 626 g from hatching to flying at 93 days. For 18 days after its first flight it ate 5 910 g, (mean 328 g per day). The eaglet's food intake increased in cold weather and decreased during a hot spell.

Mecrowear of mammalian teeth as an indicator of diet.

Microwear details on teeth of two sympatric species of hyrax are correlated with major dietary differences observed in the wild. Grazing (Procavia john-stoni) and browsing (Heterohyrax brucei) species can be distinguished. The results show that diets of extinct species may be deduced from tooth microwear.

Differential feeding behaviour of the sympatric hyrax Procavia johnstoni and Heterohyrax brucei.

1. It has been reported that when the vegetarian Bush hyrax Heterohyrax and the Rock hyrax Procavia are allopatric they occupy an almost identical niche, while when sympatric they differ in feeding behaviour. To investigate whether indeed a displacement in feeding behaviour takes place where Procavia johnstoni and Heterohyrax brucei occur sympatrically, the feeding characteristics of three (two H. brucei, one P. johnstoni)allopatric family groups and four (two of each species) sympatric family groups living on five kopjes in the Serengeti were studied and compared. 2. The vegetation of these five kopjes was surveyed. It was divided into four classes (grass, forb, bush, tree), the plant species identified and the indices of diversity and similarity calculated. The plant biomass was roughly quantified through a foliage density (f.d.) factor and the seasonal variation of vegetation recorded. The number of plant species ranged from 65 to 95 (Fig. 4). The closer the kopjes are geographically, the greater the resemblance in their plant species composition (Fig. 6). Although bushes and trees comprise the fewest plant species (15-27%) they form the highest foliage density values (65-85%; Table 1, Fig. 5).There is a substantial variation of plant species diversity. A significant correlation exists between the diversity indices and crown cover, but there is no correlation between diversity indices and a) kopje area or b) the quotient of total number of hits per transect length. Grasses, forbs and small bushes observe more or less the rainfall pattern, while other bushes, and trees, never completely lose their leaves (Fig. 7). 3. The behaviour of individuals in the groups was regularly observed and recorded in the wet and dry seasons. a) H. brucei was observed feeding on 64 plant species (Annex A) but 2\2-11 species formed 90% of the animals' staple diet. There is a high correlation (r s=0.90) between the comparative abundance of vegetation (measured by f.d.) and the proportions of the four vegetation classes eaten by H. brucei (Fig. 8). All four family groups fed roughly in proportion to the foliage density, yet showed preference for certain plant species. They browsed predominantly on bushes and trees in the wet (81%) and dry (92%) seasons (Fig. 11), but showed a tendency to eat more grass and browse less in the wet season. There are marked differences in feeding between the family groups, due to selective preferences and the vegetation composition in the respective kopjes (Table 2, Fig. 10). b) P. johnstoni was observed feeding on 79 plant species (Annex A). The animals have a high seasonal adaptability: in the wet season they showed a high preference for grasses (78%), but in the dry season when grasses became parched and poor in quality they browsed (57%) extensively (Fig. 11), and more or less in proportion to the foliage density of each vegetation class (Fig. 9). P. johnstoni must go outside the kopje to graze. Around one kopje the cropped grass area was very marked, its size varying with rainfall (Figs. 12 and 13). a) Competition for food could occur especially in the dry season when both species browse. However, no evidence could be found for a competition-induced displacement here. 4. Almost no aggressive behaviour was observed between the species. 5. Both P. johnstoni and H. brucei have morning and evening feeding activity peaks in the wet and dry seasons, the evening one always being higher (Fig. 14). There was no indication in sympatric groups of any activity shift induced by the presence of the other species. Evidence on the social character of group feeding and the guarding function of the territorial ♂ ♂ is presented. 6. The results obtained are compared with those of other authors. There is no indication of niche segregation in sympatric kopjes. Possible climatic and other reasons for regional sympatry are discussed. The advantage of selecting food items rich in protein and energy and low in fibre content are considered and food competitors listed.

Limb posture and locomotion in the Virginia opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) and in other non‐cursorial mammals

Past studies of mammalian posture and locomotion have been made principally on cursorial species and current concepts are stereotyped accordingly. Mammalian limbs are usually characterized in terms of vertical orientation and parasagittal excursion; the assumption prevails that this type of stance and limb movement is typical of the class.In the present study, walking movements in eight mammalian species (Tachyglossus aculeatus, Didelphis marsupialis, Tupaia glis. Mesocricetus auratus, Rattus norvegicus, Mustela putorius, Heterohyrax brucei, and Felis domestica) were studied cineradiographically with particular attention given to limb posture and excursion relative to the parasagittal and horizontal planes. Only the cat and, to a lesser degree, the hyrax conform to the postural and locomotory pattern that has been regarded as characteristic of most terrestrial, quadrupedal mammals. In the other six species, the humeri and femora usually function in positions more horizontal than vertical and at angles oblique to the parasagittal plane. Furthermore, the excursion pattern of these species have interspecific differences; some patterns are more variable than others. The classical conception of “mammalian posture” and “mammalian locomotion” is inaccurate both as a description of the features possessed in common by living terrestrial mammals and as a hypothetical approximation of the condition in ancestral mammals. At present, non‐cursorial mammals such as the opossum and tree shrew are more realistic models on which to base deductions concerning posture and locomotion in eatly mammals.

Notes on African Haemaphysalis Ticks. VII. H. (Rhipistoma) hyracophila sp. n. (Ixodoidea: Ixodidae), a Parasite of Hyraxes in South Africa

The male, female, nymph, and larva of Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) hyracophila sp. n. are described from wild-caught and laboratory-reared adults and reared immature stages. Each parasitic stage infests the Cape hyrax (dassie), Procavia capensis (Pallas), in Cape Province and Transvaal, Republic of South Africa. Field-caught ticks were reared on adult and immature laboratory rabbits to the F2 generation in 257 to 450 days. This tick species, a member of the hyrax-parasitizing orientalis subgroup of the H. (R.) asirticus group, is related to cooleyi Bedford (South Africa), orientalis Nuttall and Warburton (southern East Africa), and bequaerti Hoogstraal (northern East Africa). Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) hyracophila sp. n. is a South African member of the hyrax-parasitizing orientalis subgroup (Hoogstraal, 1956) of the H. (R.) asiaticus group (Hoogstraal and Morel, 1970). The other species in this subgroup are bequaerti Hoogstraal (northern East Africa), orientalis Nuttall and Warburton (southern East Africa), and cooleyi Bedford (South Africa). Careful search of hyraxes and their dens in other parts of Africa may reveal undescribed species in this subgroup. Hyraxes are among the oldest mammals on the African continent (Hoogstraal, 1956). These mammals, together with their host-specific orientalis-subgroup ticks, should be fascinating subjects to investigate for disease interrelationships. Barnett and Brocklesby (1969) mentioned the need to know more about an extraordinary piroplasm, Echinozoon hoogstraali Garham, infecting Heterohyrax brucei (not syriacus) hoogstraali Setzer infested by Haemaphysalis (R.) bequaerti in the Sudan. Received for publication 18 August 1970. * From Research Project MF12.524.009-3010, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Department of the Navy, Washington, D. C. The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private ones of the authors and are not be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the Department of the Navy or of the naval service at large. t Medical Zoology Department, U. S. Naval Medical Research Unit Number Three, Cairo, Egypt, UAR. t Veterinary Research Institute, Onderstepoort, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa. Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) hyracophila sp. n. Cape Hyrax Haemaphysalid (Figs. 1-35)