1. A small, stocky mammal native to Africa and the Middle East, resembling a guinea pig or rabbit, with short legs and no visible tail.
Usage: Also called a rock hyrax or coney.; Found in rocky habitats across Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Examples

• The dassie is a surprisingly agile climber despite its short legs.
• Dassies live in colonies among rocky outcrops and cliff faces.
• The dassie's closest living relative is actually the elephant, not the rodent.
• We spotted a family of dassies sunbathing on the rocks during our safari.
• Dassies communicate with each other using various vocalizations and scent marking.