Sea Mammals: Dugong Also called the Sea Cow, ( its immediate relative, the Stellar's Sea Cow is now unfortunately extinct) the Dugong is, along with the manatee from the order sirenia. Like the hyrax, it is also a distant relative of the elephant and is the one of two herbivore marine mammals, the other being the manatee. The Dugong is a quite large mammal reaching lengths of up to 4 meters and weights of about 400 KG. Sometimes mistaken for manatee, dugongs differ in that do not have vestigial nails on their flippers their tail flukes have deeper notches. They also lack any nasals. These very passive mammals graze mainly on the shallow sea grasses covered sea beds. They occur in the shallower coastal areas in small family groups of 4-6. Dugongs are found along the coasts of , the Red Sea, East Africa and across most of southern Asian coasts. In Egypt they can be found on the southern Mainland Red sea shores but can in the summer be seen as far north as Ras Mohamed. The Dugong is in extreme danger of being extinct as it has been hunted in the past for its meat and leather. It is now strictly forbidden to hunt this docile animal. Rodents: ( coming soon) Other Mammals at Ras Mohamed: HyraxThis cute little fellow is found in the mountainous areas of Ras Mohamed and it is for this that it is also called the Rock Hyrax. Although they look like rodents, they are in fact more closely related to the elephant and the dugong, out of all animals. They are subungulates after all and have descended from a common ungulate ancestor. However, this animal, also know as Procavia capensus is so peculiar that in itself it consists an order, the Hyracoidea of which has only one family, the Procaviidae. They have short stumps for a tail and has 3-toes on its hind feet with almost hoof-like nails on two but the inner toe does have a claw. The forefeet have 5 toes. The soles of their feet, which are extremely soft, elastic and work like suction cups that are moistened by sweat glands which helps them get around the rocks. They are extremely fast and agile. Like rodents, hyraxes have a single, very sharp incisor on each side of the upper jaw which keep growing all the time.These are only used for defense if cornered. These guys eat mainly leaves from the desert shrub but they do partake of some insects as well. As is with all desert dwellers, their water intake is minimal. The hyrax lives in the crevices found in the rocks in small family groups and commmunicate amongst each other with a series of chatters and whistles. They are most active during the day but you will see them at Ras Mohamed lying together on the rocks soaking in the sun. The reason for this is that the hyrax has a very poor ability to maintain body heat and must hudddle together for warmth even during the warm temperatures of the day. Hyraxes have traditionally served as prey for the larger cats, birds of prey, and foxes in the area. Striped Hyena This is quite an impressive predator and scavenger that is found here at Ras Mohamed. Contrary to what some people think, the striped hyena, or Hyaena hyaena is not a canid. It is in fact more related to the mongoose or the cat than it is to dogs, wolves, and foxes. The confusion might come because they do have a dog-like build and similar looking muzzle. The striped hyena, along with its two larger relatives-the spotted and brown hyenas- is from the Hyaenidae family of the order carnivora. It is the only hyena found this far north. It is peculiar in that its forelimbs are longer and better developed than it hind limbs and that males and females have similar-looking reproductive organs. It has Well developed neck muscles support its large head. It also has a mane which becomes erect when threatened. Shoulder height can averages at 70cm and lengths of up to 110cm have been recorded. Males and females are similar in size an are about 35-50kgs in weight. The striped hyena is territorial and lives in clans dominated by the females where they live in dens and caves in the rocky areas of inland Ras Mohamed. This hyena has a course fur in winter which becomes lighter in color and density during the summer months. A series of vertical black stripes cover its back which give it its name. The Striped Hyaena has a large glandular pouch, under its anus with which it marks its territory by pasting the anal gland secretions onto the ground or other objects. Before the creation of the national park, Bedouins in this area used to kill this animal because it was regarded as dangerous to people and to livestock locks. As scavengers and predetors, they prey on gazelle, hyraxes, and other small mammals as well as camel and sheep carrion. They also eat all kinds of fruit and desert flora.

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