The peculiar springhare, which appears to be a cross between a kangaroo and a rabbit, has caused scientists much confusion. It was once grouped with jerboas (jumping rodents), then with porcupines, then with scaly-tailed squirrels, until finally it was allotted its own family.
The springhare’s large back legs enable it to make gigantic leaps of 20 to 30 feet, using its long tail for balance. The springhare’s much smaller forelimbs have very sharp claws which they use to dig. A flap of skin at the base of the ear can be completely closed to prevent sand from getting into the inner ear.
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Spring hares are found locally in the semi-arid steppes and dry savannas of Kenya and Tanzania, as well as in southwestern Africa. Their distribution is scattered and limited to open areas free of rocks and large bushes (which would interfere with their leaping) and with sandy soil.
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Little is known about the social life of the springhare. Sometimes fairly large concentrations of 30 to 40 springhares are found in an area, and their burrows may be linked. Each burrow, however, is inhabited by one animal, a female with its young, or at most, a pair with a single young. When the springhare enters the burrow, it plugs up the entrance from the inside with sand.
The normal resting posture of the springhare is odd. It sits with its hind legs stretching forward, its body bent forward between them with the flat top of the head and ears in direct contact with the ground. This position seems to enable it to detect vibrations.
Little is known about the social life of the spring hare. Three babies are usually born to a female per year. An infant at birth is well-developed, fully furred and weighs about one-third the weight of an adult. It can sit on its hind legs immediately and can even run on the second day. Even so, the young are rarely seen when small and remain in the burrow until about half grown.
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Springhares eat stems, roots and sprouts of many plants, as well as herbs and fruit. Although they normally do not roam more than 300 or 400 yards from their burrows, during periods of severe drought springhares have been reported to travel 6 to 12 miles a night in search of food and water.
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Where agriculture has been introduced into their natural habitats, springhares may take to crop raiding and eat sweet potatoes, groundnuts, pumpkins and the shoots of maize and wheat. In those cases, snaring and shooting can cause localized population depletion.
Did You Know?
- This very alert animal has keen sight, scent and hearing. It is reported to be able to pick up the slightest vibrations coming through the earth.
- Generally, spring hares are silent animals, but they will grunt when excited or make a bleating noise if in danger.
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