- Also spelled:
- springhare
- Related Topics:
- Pedetes
spring hare
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What is a spring hare?
The spring hare (Pedetes capensis) is a bipedal, grazing rodent native to Africa, about the size of a rabbit. It has a short, round head; a muscular neck; large eyes; and long, narrow ears. Spring hares stand on their hind feet, using their tail for balance, and move by hopping. When alarmed, they can leap 2 to 3 meters until they reach a burrow.
They live in open, arid habitats of sandy ground and grasslands from southern and eastern Africa northward into Kenya. Springhares eat grass, roots, locusts, and cultivated crops. Litters are typically one or rarely two young, born at any time of year or just during the wet season, depending on the location.
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Where does the spring hare live?
The spring hare, Pedetes capensis, is indigenous to Africa and can be found throughout southern and eastern Africa, extending northward into Kenya.
These bipedal rodents favor open, arid habitats with sandy ground, such as overgrazed or floodplain grasslands, dry riverbeds, sparse scrub, and cultivated areas. During the day, they take shelter in burrows, typically in well-drained, hard-packed sandy soils on flat, open land near abundant grass sources.
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What does a spring hare look like?
The spring hare (Pedetes capensis) is a bipedal, grazing rodent native to Africa, roughly the size of a rabbit. It has a short, round head; large eyes; long ears; and a muscular neck. Its short forelegs and long, powerful hind legs allow it to jump like a giant jerboa. When standing, it uses its tail for balance and hops with its forefeet close to its body. When alarmed, it can travel quickly in erratic leaps of 6.6 to 9.8 feet until it reaches its burrow.
Spring hares weigh 6.6 to 8.8 pounds, with body lengths of 14 to 17 inches, and their tails are about the same length as their bodies. Their fur is straight, long, soft, and thin, with a color ranging from sandy to reddish brown. The pale fur of their underparts extends to the front of the thighs and inner sides of the legs.
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How does a spring hare move around?
The spring hare is a bipedal rodent that moves around in a series of short hops while standing on its hind feet and using its tail as a brace. It holds its forefeet close to its body. When alarmed, it travels quickly in erratic leaps of 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.8 feet) until it reaches a burrow. They dig with sharp, curved claws on their forefeet and throw soil clear of the excavation with large, flattened claws on their hind feet.
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What does a spring hare eat?
The spring hare's primary food is grass, and they eat all parts of the plant, including the roots, though they prefer different parts depending on the season. They also consume locusts and cultivated crops.
Spring hares reside in open, arid habitats with sandy ground, such as overgrazed or floodplain grasslands, dry riverbeds, sparse scrub, and cultivated areas throughout southern and eastern Africa, extending northward into Kenya. They typically den during the day in burrows in well-drained, hard-packed sandy soils on flat, open land near an abundant grass source.
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How is the spring hare different from other rodents?
The spring hare (Pedetes capensis) is a bipedal, grazing rodent native to Africa, with a body length of 35 to 43 cm and a weight of 3 to 4 kg. It has a short, round head; a thick, muscular neck; large eyes; long, narrow, upright ears; short forelegs; and long, powerful hind legs and feet for jumping.
Unlike other rodents, the spring hare is the sole member of the family Pedetidae and is now grouped with anomalures in the suborder Anomaluromorpha. Though it has been linked to jerboas, gundis, and porcupines, most specialists agree that the spring hare is not closely related to any living rodent group. Its closest relatives are only represented by fossils.
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spring hare, (Pedetes capensis), a bipedal grazing rodent indigenous to Africa. About the size of a rabbit, the spring hare more closely resembles a giant jerboa in having a short round head, a thick muscular neck, very large eyes, and long, narrow upright ears. Like jerboas, it has short forelegs but long, powerful hind legs and feet used for jumping. Standing on its hind feet and using its tail as a brace, the spring hare moves in a series of short hops with its forefeet held close to the body. When alarmed, it travels quickly in erratic leaps of 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.8 feet) until it reaches a burrow.
Found throughout southern and eastern Africa northward into Kenya, spring hares live in open arid habitats of sandy ground, overgrazed or floodplain grasslands, dry riverbeds, sparse scrub, and cultivated areas. During the day they den in burrows, usually in well-drained, hard-packed sandy soils on flat open land near an abundant source of grass. They dig by using sharp curved claws on the five digits of their forefeet. Large flattened claws on the four digits of the hind feet allow them to throw loosened soil clear of the excavation. Grass is their primary food; they consume all parts of the plant, including roots, but different parts are preferred in different seasons. They sometimes eat locusts as well as cultivated crops. Litters of one (rarely two) young may be born at any time during the year or, depending on geography, only during the wet season.
Weight generally ranges from 3 to 4 kg (6.6 to 8.8 pounds), and body length is about 35 to 43 cm (14 to 17 inches). The tail is approximately equal in length to the body and is covered with thick hairs that form a dark brown or black brush at the tip. The fur is straight, long, soft, and thin, ranging in colour from sandy to reddish brown. The pale fur of the underparts extends to the front of the thighs and inner sides of the legs. A small flap of skin (the tragus) at the base of each ear can be folded back over the ear opening to keep out sand and dust; the nostrils can be closed for the same purpose.
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Spring hares are not related to hares and rabbits, which belong to a separate order of mammals (Lagomorpha). Within the order Rodentia, spring hares have been speculatively allied with jerboas (family Dipodidae), gundis (family Ctenodactylidae), African and Asian porcupines (family Hystricidae), or rats and mice (family Muridae). However, most specialists now agree that the spring hare is not closely related to any group of living rodents. The spring hare is the only member of the family Pedetidae, which was recently placed, along with anomalures, in a separate suborder of rodents, Anomaluromorpha. The spring hare’s closest relatives are represented only by fossils. The extinct genus Pedetes lived in Africa during the Early Pliocene Epoch, probably in habitats similar to those occupied by the living species. A much larger version of the spring hare (genus Megapedetes) lived during Miocene times in Asia.