A stocky, herbivorous, furry mammal (family Hyracoidea) with a short tail, about 30 cm tall at the shoulder, that resembles a guinea pig. It has feet with rubbery pads, and four toes on the front feet and three on the back feet, all with hoof-like nails except for claw-like nails on the inside back feet, used for grooming. Its incisor teeth grow throughout life. It has a multi-chambered stomach able to digest tough plant material, but it is not a ruminant. There are four species in three genera, found in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East in dry savannah, dense rainforest, and alpine grassland.