Manchurian hare

Manchurian hare
	Manchurian hare ( Lepus mandshuricus ), stuffed specimen
Systematics
Subclass :	Higher mammals (Eutheria)
Superordinate :	Euarchontoglires
Order :	Hare-like (Lagomorpha)
Family :	Hares (Leporidae)
Genre :	Real rabbits ( Lepus )
Type :	Manchurian hare
Scientific name
	Lepus mandshuricus
	Radde , 1861

The Manchurian hare ( Lepus mandshuricus ) 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 northeast China and the neighboring regions of Russia .

features

The Manchurian hare is a relatively small hare with a body length of 41 to 54 centimeters and a weight of 1.4 to 2.6 kilograms, an average of 1.8 kilograms. This makes it the smallest rabbit in northeast China. The back is rust-brown to dark and black-brown with light yellow banded hair. The chest, sides and legs are light pink to cinnamon in color. The belly is whitish and the tail gray with a black-brown top. The ears are cinnamon to sand-colored, the neck rust-brown. In winter, the fur is lighter, with some animals having an ash-gray color and their belly white.

distribution

Distribution area of the Manchurian hare

The distribution area of the Manchurian hare extends over parts of the east of the People's Republic of China in the area of Manchuria with the provinces Heilongjiang , Jilin , Liaoning and Nei Mongol as well as the border region of Russia on the Ussuri in the regions Khabarovsk , Amur and Primorye . The northern limit of distribution is represented by the Bureja Mountains . For North Korea , distribution is assumed to be sympatric with the Korean hare ( Lepus coreanus ), but this is uncertain.

The Manchurian Hare prefers forest habitats with dense undergrowth in the form of mixed forests to homogeneous coniferous forests . Open living spaces and areas populated by people are avoided. The height distribution ranges from 300 to 900 meters.

Way of life

Very little data is available on the rabbit's way of life. It is assumed that its behavior corresponds to that of the snowshoe hare ( L. americanus ), which inhabits similar habitats in North America and is regarded as an "ecological equivalent". Like the latter, the Manchurian hare probably feeds mainly on green twigs, leaves and herbs. He is shy and lives as a loner, according to observations in the 19th century, unlike most rabbits, he does not rest in open hollows, but in caves that are open on one side at the foot of trees.

The breeding season begins in mid-February. The litters usually contain one to two young animals, but can also reach up to four or five young. The number of litters per year is unknown.

Systematics

The Manchurian hare is assigned to the real hare (genus Lepus ) as an independent species . A close relationship has been postulated for the Japanese hare ( L. brachyurus ), but molecular biological studies suggest a closer relationship with the Yarkand hare ( L. yarkandensis ). In some taxonomic considerations, another form is considered as a separate species L. melainus , but this is not confirmed according to current considerations and L. melainus is considered a melanistic form of the Manchurian hare and synonym .

Hazard and protection

The species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as not endangered (least concern) due to the size of the population and the large distribution area.

supporting documents

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Lepus mandshuricus in the endangered species Red List of IUCN 2011. Submitted By: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved on 31 January 2012 found.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d 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. 81-86. ISBN 2-8317-0019-1 .

literature

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. 81-86. ISBN 2-8317-0019-1 .

Web links

Commons : Manchurian hare ( Lepus mandshuricus ) - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Lepus mandshuricus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Accessed January 31, 2012 Design.

[IUCN-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Lepus mandshuricus in the endangered species Red List of IUCN 2011. Submitted By: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved on 31 January 2012 found.

[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. 81-86. ISBN 2-8317-0019-1 .