Bush hare
| Bush hare | ||||||||||||
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Bush hare in Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Lepus saxatilis | ||||||||||||
| F. Cuvier , 1823 |
The bush hare ( Lepus saxatilis ) is a species of mammal from the rabbit family (Leporidae). It is common in sub-Saharan Africa with the exception of the heavily forested areas in West and Central Africa.
description
The fur of the bush hare is gray-brown on the upper side and has black spots, the underside is whitish. The top of the bushy tail is black, the underside also white. There is usually a white spot on the forehead.
The bush hare is very similar to the kaphase , but is usually the larger animal in the respective region. The size varies depending on the area, with the largest animals being found in Southwest Africa. Fully grown specimens there reach a head body length of 60 cm.
Way of life
Bush hares prefer open forests and bushy biotopes, but also cultivated land. Bush hares are usually loners. They can only be found in greater numbers in areas with an oversupply of food. The animals are nocturnal and feed mainly on grass, although other plants are also eaten.
Occurrence
The distribution area of the bush hare is in South Africa , Lesotho , Swaziland and southern Namibia . Among other things, the species is found in the national parks Bontebok , Mountain Zebra , Willem Pretorius , Hluhluwe / Umfolozi , Kruger , Pilanesberg , Kgalagadi (Kalahari) , Etosha , Moremi , Chobe , Hwange , Mana Pools , Kafue , South Luangwa , Tsavo , Ngorongoro , Serengeti , Virunga , Masai Mara and Nairobi .
swell
- Chris and Tilde Stuart: Southern, Central and East African Mammals. Struik Publishers, 1992, ISBN 0-86825-223-X .
Web links
- Lepus saxatilis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Lagomorph Specialist Group, 1996. Accessed on 11 February, 2007.