Meet the Hyrax: The Adorable New Animal Taking Over Social Media
Source: GreekReporter.com
If you’ve scrolled through TikTok, Twitter, or Instagram lately, you might have come across videos of a strange little creature with a big scream. Meet the hyrax—a small, round animal with a quirky personality that’s captured the attention of social media users.
Its unusual sound and expressive face have turned it into the latest viral sensation with memes, remixes, and hilarious clips popping up across social media.
What is a hyrax?
A hyrax, also called a dassie, is a small mammal about the size of a rabbit, covered in fur with short legs and a stubby tail. They usually grow to about 12 to 28 inches long and weigh between 4 to 11 pounds.
These creatures may look like rodents, but they’re actually more closely related to elephants! Yes, despite their small size, they share common ancestry with elephants and even sea cows, giving them a unique place in the animal kingdom.
Most hyraxes live in Africa, with some found in rocky cliffs in countries like Ethiopia and South Africa.
The rock hyrax, the only type found outside Africa, also lives in parts of the Middle East. They tend to inhabit rocky areas, where they can easily hide from predators. Hyraxes are social animals, living in colonies and often seen sunbathing on rocks together.
Why are hyraxes going viral?
One reason hyraxes are going viral is their funny, loud scream. When threatened or alarmed, hyraxes let out a high-pitched noise that sounds almost like a human scream.
Social media users have taken this screaming sound and created memes, music remixes, and funny videos.
Clips of hyraxes screaming have become popular on TikTok, where users pair the scream with relatable captions. The most viral TikTok video is where one hyrax is screaming “MAMA.”
@pablothehyrax what a beautiful magnificent creatures they are #hyraxcore #hyrax #rockhyrax #awawa #wawa
The internet’s love for creating personalities for animals has made the hyrax the latest in a line of animals that seem to express human emotions.
Hyraxes and meme culture
The internet has a long history of finding animals with quirky traits and turning them into online stars. From capybaras to grumpy cats, animals with funny faces or unusual sounds tend to go viral, gaining fans worldwide.
The hyrax’s unique blend of a serious face and a high-pitched scream makes it perfect for meme culture. It’s small, cute, and oddly relatable, making people laugh and creating connections that fuel its popularity.
In another video on TikTok, a user captioned, “Bro does NOT like guests,” referring to the hyrax.
@momentsgang The scream at the end
Social media has even seen comparisons between the hyrax and well-loved animals such as capybaras or even hamsters.
These animals share similar traits that people find endearing, from their round bodies to their quirky expressions. The hyrax might not know it’s famous, but its scream and goofy personality have given it a definite place in the hearts of social media users.
The original article: belongs to GreekReporter.com .
