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Western Tree Hyrax | Daily Animal Facts

Animal profile

Western Tree Hyrax

Dendrohyrax dorsalis

MammaliaTropical rainforest canopy and forest edgeLeast Concern

Field profile

The western tree hyrax is a nocturnal, tree-dwelling relative of the rock hyrax that spends its life in the canopy of African rainforest. It is heard far more often than it is seen. Its night call is one of the most distinctive sounds of the West African forest.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-04-04

Western Tree Hyrax

The tree hyrax builds its call into a shrieking crescendo

The call begins as a sequence of creaking or croaking notes, accelerates, and ends in a series of piercing shrieks audible across a wide stretch of forest. It is a nightly landmark for people living near West African rainforest.

Read with evidence →