Jameson's Red Rock Hare
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| Pronolagus randensis Jameson, 1907 |
Jameson's Red Rock Hare is a leporid found only on the continent of Africa, mostly in the southern portion of the continent. South Africa has a population of this hare but it is only found in the northwestern part of the country. Botswana also has a population of these hares, they occur mostly in the eastern regions of the country. Zimbabwe or Namibia is thought to have the largest population of the hare and it said to be found throughout the country.
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[edit] Habitat
Jameson's Red Rock Hare is found in very rocky environments, this is where it gets its name. The hare is found on the rocky slopes of mountainous regions of the southern African continent. They are also found in grassy or bushy areas on or around these mountains and they use them as their shelters during resting periods and sleep.
[edit] Description
This species has a fine, silky fur which is grizzled rufous-brown on the upper parts of the body. It has a whitish chin and slightly lighter fur on the ventrum. The sides of the neck, lower jaw and cheeks are light grey in colour. They have large reddish-brown, black tipped tails. The large ears are sparsely haired and sometimes are tipped with black. When fully grown, these hares can weight more than 5 pounds.
[edit] Reproduction
Very little is known about its breeding habits. It is assumed that breeding can and does occur year around and females give birth to 1 to 3 young per litter.
[edit] Behavior
Active by night, these hares remaining in hiding during the day and therefore are nocturnal. Solitary in habits, although sometimes seen in groups comprising of a female and her young. An oestrus female is often followed by courting males as with other species.
[edit] Food
Jameson's Red Rock Hare only feeds at night, when it is most active. It feeds on the vegetation in and around its habitat including grasses, leaves, and certain fruits. As with other hares and rabbits, Jameson's Red Rock Hare practices coprophagy in order to get the most nutrients out of its diet.
[edit] Human interaction and impact
Jameson's Red Rock Hare is not on any endangered or threatened list. The habitat that it uses, as with many other animals habitats, is endangered because of human encroachment. The continent of Africa, even the region this hare is found, is often war-torn and this may affect the hare, its habitat, or both. Currently though the population of Jameson's Red Rock Hare appears to be stable.
[edit] References
- Lagomorph Specialist Group (1996). Pronolagus randensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
