Dassie Rat: Petromuridae - Behavior And Reproduction

Dassie rats are active during the daytime, especially during the early morning and the late afternoon. They sunbathe under rocks that shelter them from possible attacks by birds. They often urinate in one spot, which makes the rocks at this spot become white due to stains from the urine. A dassie rat may live alone, with another dassie rat, or in a group. However, they only travel alone or with one other dassie rat.

When a predator attacks, dassie rats squeeze into a crack or other small area, quickly escape by jumping on rocks, or let out a warning whistling call to show that they are scared. Dassie rats are able to squeeze into very small cracks that most other animals would not be able to enter.

The dassie rat mating season is from November to December. Females give birth to one or two babies once a year, when the raining season is just beginning. The young are born almost fully developed.