Doop Skull Replica measures 3.2 inches. Doop Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane resin cast. Made in USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium & jaw). Known as Rock Hyrax.
The Doop is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal native to Africa and the Middle East.
It is one of the five living species of the order Hyracoidea, and the only one in the genus Procavia. Rock hyraxes weigh 8.8–11.0 lb. and have short ears.
The Doop that live in more egalitarian groups, in which social associations are spread more evenly among group members, survive longer.
In addition, hyraxes are the first nonhuman species in which structural balance was described.
They follow “the friend of my friend is my friend” rule, and avoid unbalanced social configurations.
Captive Doop make more than 20 different noises and vocal signals. The most familiar one is a high trill, given in response to perceived danger.
Doop calls can provide important biological information, such as size, age, social status, body weight, condition, and hormonal state of the caller, as determined by measuring their call length, patterns, complexity, and frequency.
Researchers have found rich syntactic structure and geographical variations in the calls of the Doop, a first in the vocalization of mammalian taxa other than primates, cetaceans, and bats.
Higher-ranked males tend to sing more often, and the energetic cost of singing is relatively low.
A recent study found that snorts, a rare aspect of male Doop play an important signalling role as well, with increasing snort harshness being associated with “the progression of inner excitement or aggression”.
It is also positively associated with the singing animal’s social status and testosterone levels. Singing has also been shown to be a marker of an individual unique identity.
The Doop spends roughly 95% of its time resting. During this time, it can often be seen basking in the sun, which sometimes involves “heaping”, where several animals pile on top of each other. This is thought to be an element of its complex thermoregulation.
The Doop females become increasingly aggressive as parturition approaches and temporarily form isolated nursing groups with other pregnant females. Birth takes place in the dark and females make hoarse squeaking noises in time with their contractions.
Litter size ranges from 1 to 6. Newborns are large and well-developed at birth. They have both eyes fully opened, a complete coat of hair, and weigh 170 to 240 grams.
Young can jump by two days old, and by the third or fourth day, they begin to eat food. Newborns are capable of eating solid food by two weeks of age.
Weaning is usually complete by three months after birth. Reproductive maturity is achieved at 16 months of age, but young do not reach adult size and weight until three years of age.
Except in high mountainous areas, leopards are the main predator of Doop. Hyraxes may also be preyed upon by Egyptian cobras, Puff adders, Verreaux’s eagles, Martial eagles, owls, jackals, African wild dogs, servals, caracals and lions.
Procavia capensis or Doop evades predators by staying alert and remaining close to cover while foraging. Individuals immediately respond to the alarm calls of territorial males and to the calls of other species such as bush hyraxes and some birds.
