Saharan Hyraxes

With the world becoming extremely humid and rain being near constant, the deserts of the world have almost disappeared. The Sahara has gone from a barren wasteland to a bustling savanna ecosystem. One key pioneer to this blank slate of an ecosystem was the rock hyrax, which split into many different clades and became very biodiverse.

Rhyraxes

The Rhyrax (crassohyraxidae) is a family of saharan hyrax. They measure in at 10 feet long and 5 feet in height. They have barely any hair and have thick skin. Their legs are stocky and their feet are fully plantigrade to support their weight. The pads on their feet have been reutilized to sense vibrations in the ground rather than for climbing. They use the vibrations in the ground to find competing animals, rivals, or predators. 

They are mostly solitary and sometimes form temporary herds. Females usually form herds more often to protect their young. Every few years, they give birth to a calf. Like their ancestors, they nurse in the armpit which keeps them shielded from predators by keeping them under their mother.

They eat exclusively grass and have wider jaws and thicker necks in order to chew more efficiently. While grazing, they are especially vulnerable to predators. The main method of protecting themselves are their two large bottom tusks that protrude outwards. The tusks measure in at 1 and a half feet in length.

Leporax

Leporax (lepohyraxidae) is a family of hyrax found in north africa and the middle east. They converged upon the same bodyplan as a hare with long muscular legs and short forelimbs to maximize distance. They usually come in at a foot tall and stand upright.

Their diet is like that of their ancestors, non-grass plants. Their tusks have turned flat in order to cut plant matter apart. They are highly social and usually roam in packs of 25 across the grasslands. When they forage, a few leporaxes stand up on an elevated surface and keep watch. If a predator is spotted, all of the hyraxes run and scream which scares the predator into running away. This maximizes their chances of survival since they have 3 month long gestation periods which is long considering their size.

Aardassie

Aardassies (formicasusidae) are a family of hyrax found in lowland savannas. They come in at 2 feet in length. They follow the basic myrmecophage body plan with a long nose and alternating posture. They have the same semi-hooved feet that they use to keep their balance. 

Their diet consists of ants and termites. Since they can't use their hooves to break into termite mounds, they instead use their large blunt lower tusks. The tusks measure in at a few inches in length and protrude from the chin. They hold their head up and basically headbang until the rock breaks. They then slurp up the insects with their long sticky tongue. At night, they dig burrows with their spade-like snouts. The burrows also protect other animals from the heat when the aardassie is away. To scare off intruders or predators, the aardassie lets out high pitched and irritating screeches while standing up.