Hyraxes, Funny Dangerous Animals

Hyraxes unique to Israel a cute, furry and has a distinctive voice. But they are also dangerous because it becomes a serious pest.

Animals are also known as rock rabbits, the move to a rural area of ​​Galilee and destroying garden belongs to local people. Scientists have discovered the reason why hyraxes make their homes rather than the rest of the rubble.

Researchers from the University of Haifa publish these findings in the journal Wildlife Research. Many people in the west have not heard about hyraxes, but it is very common in the Middle East, "said lead researcher told BBC Arik Kershenbaum Nature.

Kershenbaum also explains, in the Galilee region, these animals no longer make their home in the hills and rocky cliffs of the countryside.

"They come into villages and eat everything they find," said Kershenbaum, as quoted by the BBC Neature, Sunday (08/07/2011).

To find out more about their behavior, Kershenbaum and her colleagues observed the movement of animals in groups. They also attach the radio to the neck hyraxes group to track and follow them.

"It turned out that pile of stones attracted the attention of hyraxes," he added.

They made their home in underground caverns and crevices created by humans through piles of rubble. Apparently Hyraxes want to rest under the hot sun, but they also want to stay close to the hole made from a pile of stones is perfect for them.

"We confirm that they are interested in the pile of stones than people's gardens," he concluded.

There are also some concerns about the public health posed by hyraxes if living close to the population. These animals are considered to bring the skin disease leishmaniasis (a disease caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania and is transmitted through the bite), which can be transmitted to humans.

But initial research shows that by making piles of stones, it will encourage hyraxes out from the settlement and returned to the cliff.

Posted in: Science,Unique