Cape scrub hare
Species of mammal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cape scrub hare (Lepus saxatilis) (Afrikaans: ribbokhaas) is a species of hare found in South Africa and Namibia. Although it is listed as a least concern species, the population has been declining and is expected to decline by 20% over the next 100 years, according to a 2004 report.[1]
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| Cape scrub hare | |
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| Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Lagomorpha |
| Family: | Leporidae |
| Genus: | Lepus |
| Species: | L. saxatilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Lepus saxatilis F. Cuvier, 1823 | |
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| range | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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List
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Taxonomy
Frédéric Cuvier wrote the first description of the Cape scrub hare in 1823.[3] It was one of two hares (species in the genus Lepus) known at the time to inhabit South Africa, with the other being the Cape hare (L. capensis). Its taxonomy has since been confused, especially in the region south of the Cunene and Zambezi rivers. The species referred to as the Cape scrub hare is considered to have diverged from the African savanna hare (L. victoriae) fairly recently, but further clarifications on the species' taxonomy requires study of other African hare populations.[4] Populations of Cape hare found in Sardinia and coastal North Africa were found to be more closely related to the Cape scrub hare and the European hare (L. europaeus) than they were to other Cape hares in southern Africa based on phylogenetic analysis. These related hares have been considered part of the Mediterranean hare species,[5] described in the 19th century by Johann Andreas Wagner but only reestablished as separate from the Cape hare in 2019.[6]
According to analysis performed in 2024 by Leandro Iraçabal and colleagues, the Moroccan hare (Lepus schlumbergeri) and the African savanna hare are the closest relatives of the Cape scrub hare:[7]
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Description
Similar to the African savanna hare, the Cape scrub hare is a grizzled gray coarse-furred hare. Its undersides are gray, and the inside of the limbs, the chin, and chest are white. Fur becomes sparse along the ears, which are black at the tips. Its tail is black on top and white below, and measures 13 to 15 centimetres (5.1 to 5.9 in) in length. An off-white ring encircles the Cape scrub hare's eyes. Cape scrub hares are typically larger than African savanna hares, and adults weigh from 3.2 to 4 kilograms (7.1 to 8.8 lb), with females being generally heavier than males.[4]
Habitat and distribution
The Cape scrub hare is endemic to southern Africa, and lives in southwestern Namibia and the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa. Its presence in Namibia and absence in southeastern parts of Africa is based on taxonomic restrictions imposed on the species in 2018.[1]
Ecology and behavior
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Cape scrub hares are solitary and herbivorous. They are sometimes found in pairs.[4]
Diet
The Cape scrub hare is a herbivore and eats mostly green grasses, consuming their leaves, stems, and rhizomes. Green grass is preferred over dry grass.[4]
Threats
Some ixodid ticks are known to affect Cape scrub hares.[4]
As of 2019, the scrub hare is listed as a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It has a fairly restricted distribution. A 2004 study estimated that within the next 100 years, their population is estimated to decrease by 20%, but this rate of decline is not enough to consider the species as threatened.[1]