All Topics  
Springhare

 
Springhare

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Springhare
 
 
  Topics Springhare Topic Home

The springhare (Pedetes capensis), or springhaas, is not actually a hare
Hare

Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Very young hares, less than one year old, are called leverets....
, but a member of the order Rodent
Rodent

Rodentia is an Order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing Incisors#The_Rodent_incisor in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
ia; it is the only species in its family Pedetidae and in the genus Pedetes. Synonyms are P. caffer or P. cafer.

springhare resembles a small kangaroo
Kangaroo

A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the Red Kangaroo, the Antilopine Kangaroo, and the Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo of the Macropus genus....
 (though unrelated) with well-developed hind legs, which allows it to leap over in a single bound.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Springhare'
Start a new discussion about 'Springhare'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The springhare (Pedetes capensis), or springhaas, is not actually a hare
Hare

Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Very young hares, less than one year old, are called leverets....
, but a member of the order Rodent
Rodent

Rodentia is an Order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing Incisors#The_Rodent_incisor in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
ia; it is the only species in its family Pedetidae and in the genus Pedetes. Synonyms are P. caffer or P. cafer.

Characteristics

The springhare resembles a small kangaroo
Kangaroo

A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the Red Kangaroo, the Antilopine Kangaroo, and the Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo of the Macropus genus....
 (though unrelated) with well-developed hind legs, which allows it to leap over in a single bound. It is for this ability which it gets its name. This animal grows to be around in length excluding its long tail, and weighs an average of . The tail adds to another in length. The colour of this mammal varies from a reddish-brown to a pale grey, with a black tip on the tail. The springhare lives only in south-eastern Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
, feeding on plant matter and even occasionally insect
Insect

Insects are the biggest class of arthropods and the only ones with wings. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet. They are most diverse at the equator and their diversity declines toward the poles....
s. They have four toes on their hind feet with claws that look like small hoof
Hoof

File:Horse rear hooves.jpgA hoof is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, strengthened by a thick horny covering. The hoof consists of a hard or rubbery sole, and a hard wall formed by a thick Nail rolled around the tip of the toe....
s; these are wider than those found on the forefeet. They have a thick muscular neck supporting their short head. They also have large eyes, and their ears have a tragus that prevents sand from entering when they are digging. Springhares breed throughout the year. The females give birth to a single infant about three times a year. Unlike some other rodents, which have blind and hairless young, springhares are born furred, and are active within a very short time of birth. However, they are not weaned
Weaning

Weaning is the process of gradually introducing a mammal infant, either human or animal, to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk....
 and do not leave the burrow until they are they are about half grown. This extended period of parental care helps to mitigate a birth-rate that is, among rodents, remarkably low.

Behavior

Springhares are mostly nocturnal
Nocturnal animal

As an animal behavior, nocturnality describes sleeping during the daytime and being active at night - the opposite of the diurnal animal human lifestyle, and that of those animals with which we are most familiar....
 but are occasionally active in the day. During the daytime, they live in tunnels that they dig. They plug the entrance of the hole with soil from the inside of the tunnel. It is easier for them to dig during the rainy season when the soil is wet. Sometimes they leap out of their burrows when they come out at night. The springhare jumps like a kangaroo on its hind legs, retreating to its burrow when frightened. It has been found that a pair of springhares may occupy many different burrows on different days. They tend to make three burrows together in a circular shape. These burrows are mostly found near the largest tree or bush within their home range. The springhare's home range
Home range

Home range is a concept that can be traced back to a publication in 1943 by W. H. Burt, who constructed maps delineating the spatial extent or outside boundary of an animal's movement during the course of its everyday activities....
 is within of its burrow. It may expand its area during a drought.

Status

The springhare was listed as vulnerable by the IUCN in 1996 due to an approximately 20% decrease in the population over the last ten years. This has been caused by intense hunting and the loss of habitat. In 2001 their status was reclassified to least concern (LC).

External links