Hyraxes look nothing like elephants. They are only about 50 centimetres long and weigh 4 kilograms. But if you look closely you can see clues: they have little flat hooves on their toes instead of claws, and their tusks (yes, tusks!) stick down a little from their top lip. Elephants have huge tusks; hyraxes have tiny ones.
Hyraxes live in family groups of 10-50 on rocky hillsides. One adult always stands lookout while the others sun themselves and feed. If the lookout sees a hawk or a snake, it gives a sharp whistle. The whole group dashes for cracks in the rocks.
They are vegetarians - eating leaves, flowers, twigs and fruit. Their stomach has lots of chambers, like a cow's, to digest tough plants. They sun themselves in the morning to warm up before they start moving around.
Hyraxes are very chatty. They make over 20 different sounds, from squeaks to growls to long musical calls. Scientists studying them in Israel have noticed that hyrax 'songs' have patterns, almost like words in a sentence. Each family has its own accent.