Species of mammal
African savanna hare |
|
Conservation status |
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Status_iucn3.1_LC.svg/220px-Status_iucn3.1_LC.svg.png) Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] |
Scientific classification |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Lagomorpha |
Family: | Leporidae |
Genus: | Lepus |
Species: | L. victoriae |
Binomial name |
Lepus victoriae
Thomas, 1893 |
|
African savanna hare range |
Synonyms[1] |
- Lepus crawshayi de Winton, 1899
- Lepus microtis Heuglin, 1865[2]
|
The African savanna hare (Lepus victoriae) is a mammal species in the family Leporidae, native to Africa. It is listed as "least concern" on the IUCN Red List.[1]
Distribution and habitat
It is native to diverse regions and habitats of Africa, including savannas and the Sahel. It is found in Algeria, Botswana, Burundi, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia.
Description
The African savanna hare is a medium-sized species growing to a length of between 41 and 58 cm (16 and 23 in) with a weight of between 1.5 and 3 kilograms (3.3 and 6.6 lb). The ears have black tips, the dorsal surface of head and body is greyish-brown, the flanks and limbs are reddish-brown and the underparts are white. The general colouring is richer in tone than other hares, especially in mountain regions where the hares are a rather darker shade. The tail is black above and white below. This hare looks very similar to the Cape hare in appearance but can be told apart by its distinctively grooved incisors.[3]
Behaviour
African savanna hares are solitary, nocturnal animals. They rely on camouflage to stay hidden, but can run at up to 70 kilometres (43 mi) an hour and sometimes leap vigorously sideways to break the scent trail they are leaving. They feed mainly on grasses and herbs but also chew roots, shoots and bark and sometimes eat fallen fruit and occasionally fungi. They engage in coprophagy, eating their own dry faecal pellets so as to extract further nutrients from them.[3]
The breeding behaviour of African savanna hares has been little studied. They seem to reproduce at any time of year and the female gives birth to several litters during the year. The young are born in the open and able to run soon after birth. The mother seems to separate them and visits each one at intervals to allow them to suckle. They are weaned when about a month old.[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Johnston, C.H.; Robinson, T.J.; Relton, C.; Child, M.F.; Smith, A.T. (2019). "Lepus victoriae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T41879A45194215. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T41879A45194215.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ Hoffman, R.S.; Smith, A.T. (2005). "Lepus microtis". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 201. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- ^ a b c Riegler, Donald (2013). "Lepus microtis: African savanna hare". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2014-09-26.
|
Family Ochotonidae (Pikas) |
---|
Ochotona | - Subgenus Pika: Alpine pika (O. alpina)
- Helan Shan pika (O. argentata)
- Collared pika (O. collaris)
- Korean pika (O. coreana)
- Hoffmann's pika (O. hoffmanni)
- Northern pika (O. hyperborea)
- Manchurian pika (O. mantchurica)
- Kazakh pika (O. opaca)
- Pallas's pika (O. pallasi)
- American pika (O. princeps)
- Turuchan pika (O. turuchanensis)
- Subgenus Ochotona: Gansu pika (O. cansus)
- Plateau pika (O. curzoniae)
- Daurian pika (O. dauurica)
- Nubra pika (O. nubrica)
- Steppe pika (O. pusilla)
- Qionglai pika (O. qionglaiensis)
- Afghan pika (O. rufescens)
- Sijin pika (O. sikimaria)
- Tsing-ling pika (O. syrinx)
- Moupin pika (O. thibetana)
- Thomas's pika (O. thomasi)
- Subgenus Conothoa: Chinese red pika (O. erythrotis)
- Forrest's pika (O. forresti)
- Glover's pika (O. gloveri)
- Ili pika (O. iliensis)
- Koslov's pika (O. koslowi)
- Ladak pika (O. ladacensis)
- Large-eared pika (O. macrotis)
- Royle's pika (O. roylei)
- Turkestan red pika (O. rutila)
- Subgenus Alienauroa: Yellow pika (O. huanglongensis)
- Sacred pika (O. sacraria)
- Flat-headed pika (O. flatcalvariam)
|
---|
|
|
|
---|
Pentalagus | - Amami rabbit (P. furnessi)
|
---|
Bunolagus | - Riverine rabbit (B. monticularis)
|
---|
Nesolagus | - Sumatran striped rabbit (N. netscheri)
- Annamite striped rabbit (N. timminsi)
|
---|
Romerolagus | - Volcano rabbit (R. diazi)
|
---|
Brachylagus | - Pygmy rabbit (B. idahoensis)
|
---|
Sylvilagus (Cottontail rabbits) | - Subgenus Tapeti: Andean tapeti (S. andinus)
- Bogota tapeti (S. apollinaris)
- Swamp rabbit (S. aquaticus)
- Common tapeti (S. brasiliensis)
- Ecuadorian tapeti (S. daulensis)
- Dice's cottontail (S. dicei)
- Fulvous tapeti (S. fulvescens)
- Central American tapeti (S. gabbi)
- Northern tapeti (S. incitatus)
- Omilteme cottontail (S. insonus)
- Nicefor's tapeti (S. nicefori)
- Marsh rabbit (S. palustris)
- Suriname tapeti (S. parentum)
- Colombian tapeti (S. salentus)
- Santa Marta tapeti (S. sanctaemartae)
- Western tapeti (S. surdaster)
- Coastal tapeti (S. tapetillus)
- Venezuelan lowland rabbit (S. varynaensis)
- Subgenus Sylvilagus: Desert cottontail (S. audubonii)
- Mexican cottontail (S. cunicularis)
- Eastern cottontail (S. floridanus)
- Tres Marias rabbit (S. graysoni)
- Mountain cottontail (S. nuttallii)
- Appalachian cottontail (S. obscurus)
- Robust cottontail (S. holzneri)
- New England cottontail (S. transitionalis)
- Subgenus Microlagus: Brush rabbit (S. bachmani)
|
---|
Oryctolagus | - European rabbit (O. cuniculus)
|
---|
Poelagus | - Bunyoro rabbit (P. marjorita)
|
---|
Pronolagus (Red rock hares) | - Natal red rock hare (P. crassicaudatus)
- Jameson's red rock hare (P. randensis)
- Smith's red rock hare (P. rupestris)
- Hewitt's red rock hare (P. saundersiae)
|
---|
Caprolagus | - Hispid hare (C. hispidus)
|
---|
Lepus (Hares) | - Subgenus Macrotolagus: Antelope jackrabbit (L. alleni)
- Subgenus Poecilolagus: Snowshoe hare (L. americanus)
- Subgenus Lepus: Arctic hare (L. arcticus)
- Alaskan hare (L. othus)
- Mountain hare (L. timidus)
- Subgenus Proeulagus:
- Black jackrabbit (L. insularis)
- Desert hare (L. tibetanus)
- Tolai hare (L. tolai)
- Subgenus Eulagos: Broom hare (L. castroviejoi)
- Yunnan hare (L. comus)
- Korean hare (L. coreanus)
- European hare (L. europaeus)
- Manchurian hare (L. mandshuricus)
- Ethiopian highland hare (L. starcki)
- Subgenus Sabanalagus: Ethiopian hare (L. fagani)
- African savanna hare (L. victoriae)
- Subgenus Indolagus: Hainan hare (L. hainanus)
- Indian hare (L. nigricollis)
- Burmese hare (L. peguensis)
- Subgenus Sinolagus: Chinese hare (L. sinensis)
- Subgenus Tarimolagus: Yarkand hare (L. yarkandensis)
- Subgenus incertae sedis: Tamaulipas jackrabbit (L. altamirae)
- Japanese hare (L. brachyurus)
- Black-tailed jackrabbit (L. californicus)
- White-sided jackrabbit (L. callotis)
- Cape hare (L. capensis)
- Corsican hare (L. corsicanus)
- Tehuantepec jackrabbit (L. flavigularis)
- Granada hare (L. granatensis)
- Abyssinian hare (L. habessinicus)
- Woolly hare (L. oiostolus)
- Scrub hare (L. saxatilis)
- White-tailed jackrabbit (L. townsendii)
|
---|
|
|
Taxon identifiers |
---|
Lepus microtis | |
---|