蹄兔目动物外形象兔，上门齿弯曲不断生长，类似兔形目动物，但后足第一和第三趾有蹄，中趾有爪。妊娠期长达7-8个月。体长25-50厘米，体重约4-5千克，草食性，背部有香腺。其中岩蹄兔属和蹄兔属生活在地面，白天活动；树蹄兔属栖息在树上，昼伏夜出。可能起源于古代有蹄类动物。在《圣经》，这些动物被统称为沙番，音译自希伯来语(שָּׁפָן‎，shaphan)，很可能是一种岩蹄兔属的动物。

蹄兔目物种是一种相对较为原始的哺乳类动物，其体温调节功能比较差，要透过行为来帮助稳定。此外，其牙间隙亦比较窄。

Hyraxes (from the Greek ὕραξ, hurax, "shrewmouse"), also called dassies, are small, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the order Hyracoidea. Hyraxes are well-furred, rotund animals with short tails. Typically, they measure between 30 and 70 cm (12 and 28 in) long and weigh between 2 and 5 kg (4.4 and 11 lb). They are often mistaken for rodents, but are more closely related to elephants and manatees.