The closest living relatives to the Dassie are modern-day Elephants, some of the similarities are the way the incicors grow as a defence maganism( altough the dassies incicors remain inside its lip), stumpy feet and they carry their testes up in their body and not in a scrotum. Another similarity are that the dassie has a extremly long gestation period of 8 months compared to its small size.
Dassies are only found on rocky out croppings and on both the Etjo mountain and surrounding plateaus as well as on the Okonjati mountain range. Driving through the Okonjati pass you are certain to see them lazing on the rocks enjoying the sun.
