The dassie rat (Petromus typicus) is an African rodent found among rocky outcroppings.

The name "dassie" means "hyrax" in Afrikaans,[2] and the two animals are found in similar habitats.

Dassie rats are restricted to rocky outcrops in Namibia, parts of Angola, and northwest South Africa.

Females give birth to a pair of offspring just once a year, an unusually slow reproductive rate among rodents.

[3] Dassie rats are the only remaining members of a once-diverse family that first appeared in the Oligocene of Africa.