Chinese rabbit

Chinese rabbit
	Chinese rabbit ( Lepus sinensis )
Systematics
Subclass :	Higher mammals (Eutheria)
Superordinate :	Euarchontoglires
Order :	Hare-like (Lagomorpha)
Family :	Hares (Leporidae)
Genre :	Real rabbits ( Lepus )
Type :	Chinese rabbit
Scientific name
	Lepus sinensis
	Gray , 1832

The Chinese hare ( Lepus sinensis ) is a species of mammal belonging to the genus of the real hare within the hare-like species . Its distribution area extends over parts of southern China including the island of Taiwan and northern Vietnam .

features

The Chinese hare is small with a head-trunk length of 35 to 45 centimeters, a tail length of 4.0 to 5.7 centimeters and a weight of 1025 to 1940 grams. The hind feet are 81 to 111 millimeters long, the ears are small and measure 60 to 82 millimeters. The coat is short and rough, the coat color consists of numerous brown tones from chestnut brown to reddish brown and is very variable. The back, the head and the tail are sandy brown, dark brown or gray-brown, often with chestnut and red-brown parts. The underside is lighter, but does not contrast very strongly with the color on the back. There is a black, triangular mark on the tips of the ears and the eyes have a dark border. The winter fur is yellowish and is interspersed with black-tipped hair.

The skull has long, curved nasal bones . The supraorbital process , an extension of the frontal bone above the eyes, is only small. The tympanic membrane is small. The genome consists of two sets of chromosomes , each with 24 chromosomes (2n = 48 chromosomes).

distribution and habitat

Distribution area of the Chinese hare

The distribution area of the Chinese hare extends over parts of southern China south of the Yangtze River and northern Vietnam . He also lives on the offshore island of Taiwan . For individual populations west of the known distribution area, it has not yet been clarified whether the occurrence of the Chinese or Burmese hare ( Lepus peguensis ) is concerned.

The preferred habitat is open and shrubby grassy areas in the hill country. The distribution extends in bamboo forests to heights of 4,000 to 5,000 meters.

Way of life

The Chinese hare is nocturnal, but can occasionally be observed during the day. It feeds mainly on leaves, green sprouts and twigs. He does not dig his own structures, but uses the structures of other animal species. These buildings have a flat entrance and the hare places its excrement pills in front of the entrance.

The mating season extends from April to August. During this time, the females give birth to litters with an average of three young in their burrows.

Systematics

The Chinese hare is assigned to the real hare (genus Lepus ) as an independent species . Originally the Korean hare ( Lepus coreanus ), which is endemic to the Korean peninsula and is now regarded as an independent species, was also considered a subspecies of the Chinese hare. Today three subspecies are distinguished, the nominate form L. s. sinensis , L. s. yuenshanensis and L. s. formosus in Taiwan.

Hazard and protection

Data on the size of the hare population are not available. Only small populations are assumed for Vietnam and the last confirmed data is from the 1990s. Here he lives in very densely populated areas with high hunting pressure. In China, the hare is found in numerous nature reserves and is not considered endangered.

The species is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) due to the size of the population and the large area of distribution.

supporting documents

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Chinese Hare. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, 2008; P. 290. ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c Joseph A. Chapman, John EC Flux (Ed.): Rabbits, Hares and Pikas. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. (PDF; 11.3 MB) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), Gland 1990; Pp. 85-86. ISBN 2-8317-0019-1 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Lepus sinensis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: Andrew T. Smith , CH Johnston, 2008. Accessed January 28, 2012 Design.

literature

Chinese hare. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, 2008; P. 290. ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 .
Joseph A. Chapman, John EC Flux (Eds.): Rabbits, Hares and Pikas. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. (PDF; 11.3 MB) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), Gland 1990; Pp. 85-86. ISBN 2-8317-0019-1 .

Web links

Commons : Lepus sinensis - collection of images, videos and audio files

Lepus sinensis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: Andrew T. Smith , CH Johnston, 2008. Accessed January 28, 2012 Design.

[Smith_&_Yan_Xie_2009-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Chinese Hare. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, 2008; P. 290. ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 .

[Chapman_&_Flux-2] Joseph A. Chapman, John EC Flux (Ed.): Rabbits, Hares and Pikas. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. (PDF; 11.3 MB) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), Gland 1990; Pp. 85-86. ISBN 2-8317-0019-1 .

[IUCN-3] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Lepus sinensis in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: Andrew T. Smith , CH Johnston, 2008. Accessed January 28, 2012 Design.