Smith's red rock hare

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Smith's red rock hare
Pronolagus rupestris 102739992.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Lagomorpha
Family: Leporidae
Genus: Pronolagus
Species:
P. rupestris
Binomial name
Pronolagus rupestris
(A. Smith, 1834) [2]
Subspecies [3]
  • P. r. curryi Thomas, 1902
  • P. r. nyikae Thomas, 1902
  • P. r. rupestris Smith, 1834
  • P. r. saundersiae Hewitt, 1927
  • P. r. vallicola Kershaw, 1924
Pronolagus rupestris range.svg
P. rupestris range
Synonyms [3]
  • barretti Roberts, 1949
  • bowkeri Hewitt, 1927
  • australis Roberts, 1933
  • melanuris Ruppel, 1842
  • mulleri Roberts, 1938

Smith's red rockhare, [4] [1] Smith's red rock hare [1] or Smith's red rock rabbit [5] (Pronolagus rupestris) is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae (rabbits and hares), and is the smallest member of the genus Pronolagus . The upperparts and gular collar are reddish brown in colour. It has warm, brown, grizzled, thicker hairs at the back of the body, and white to tawny, thinner underfur. It is native to Africa, found in parts of Kenya (Rift Valley), Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa (Northern Cape, Free State, and North West), Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is a folivore, and usually forages on grasses (such as sprouting grass), shrubs and herbs. It breeds from September to February, and the female litters one or two offspring. The young leave the nest at three years of age. In 1996, it was rated as a species of  least concern  on the  IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.

Contents

Taxonomy

Scottish zoologist Andrew Smith first described the Smith's red rock hare in the year 1834. [2] [1] It was originally described in the genus Lepus , and was formerly included in Natal red rock hare (P. crassicaudatus). [6] They are commonly known as rock rabbits in Zambia. [7] [8] In Swahili, its name is sungura mwekundu or kitengule. [9]

The number of accepted subspecies has ranged from zero to eight. One classification from the 1940s accepted the following subspecies: [10]

Another classification from the 1980s had the following subspecies; differences came from moving whitei to P. randensis, including fitzsimonsi, and treating mulleri as a synonym of australis: [12]

In the third edition of Mammal Species of the World published in 2005, R. S. Hoffman and A. T. Smith listed Smith's red rock hare (Pronolagus rupestris) as a separate species and included five subspecies. [3]

The taxonomic status of the east African Smith's red rock hare is uncertain. It is treated conspecific with the southern African P. rupestris. [6] A paper looking at mitochondrial DNA argued that P. r. curryi is the only non-nominate subspecies. [5] Mammals of Africa does not recognize any subspecies and rather that curryi, fitzsimonsi, melanurus, mülleri, nyikae, and vallicola are all just synonyms of P. rupestris. [13]

Description

The Smith's red rock hare is the smallest member of the genus Pronolagus , [14] measuring 43 to 65 cm (17 to 26 in) in length from head to tail, having a 5 to 11 cm (2.0 to 4.3 in) long bushy, dark to reddish brown tail with a black tip, and weighing 1.3 to 2 kg (2.9 to 4.4 lb). [4] The upperparts and gular collar are reddish brown in color. [15] The ears are grey, measuring 6 to 10 cm (2.4 to 3.9 in) in length, and the hindfeet measure 7.5 to 10 cm (3.0 to 3.9 in) in length. [4] It has a brownish forehead, with greyish buff cheeks. [15] The sides of the face are gray, [16] and the nuchal patch is reddish brown. It has pinkish buff coloured underparts, and some white in the mid-line of the abdomen. [15] The hind legs and rump are bright reddish brown. [16] It has warm, brown, grizzled, thicker hairs at the back of the body, and white to tawny, thinner underfur. [4] [17] The feet pads are covered by dense, greasy fur. [17] The digits and claws are short and broad, and the limbs are russet, [4] and the frontal bone measures almost the same as the snout. [6] Possibly due to its diet, its flesh is aromatic. [4]

It is similar to the Jameson's red rock hare (P. randensis) which has shorter ears and a longer tail, and the Hewitt's red rock hare (P. saundersiae) which has a shorter snout bone than the frontal bone. [6] (The latter is regarded as P. r. saundersiae by some authorities. [3] )

Distribution and habitat

The Smith's red rock hare is native to Africa, found in parts of Kenya (Rift Valley), Lesotho, Malawi, eastern Zimbabwe, South Africa (Northern Cape, Free State, and North West), Tanzania, and Zambia. [1] [9] [4] It occurs on rocky slopes and tops of rocky outcrops, in stony countries where grass, rocks, and bush are intermingled. It inhabits ravines with boulders, hillsides, slabs of stones, and rock creaks which provide cover from predators. [1] [4]

Behaviour and ecology

While a nocturnal species, Smith's red rock hare occasionally comes out during early morning or late afternoon in places where it is not hunted. [9] It is alert at most times, and usually hides prior to being seen. It can also exhibit rapid, startling manoeuvres which are depicted when chased by dogs. [4] The Smith's red rock is observed to vocalize a series of loud, startling screams when running away at night, [18] possibly to scare away predators or to warn other members of the species of potential threat. [4] Despite not being restrained or in pain, it is known to produce shrill voices, contrary to most other leporids. The juvenile can produce churring sounds when caught in hand, and the adult can produce a barking sound when disturbed before sunrise. [18]

It is a folivore, and usually forages on grasses (such as sprouting grass), shrubs, and herbs. [4] The Smith's red rock hare breeds from September to February. [15] The female makes a nest out of vegetable debris lined with its fur. [4] The nest is about 15 centimetres (5.9 in) wide, 10 centimetres (3.9 in) length, and 4 to 8 cm (1.6 to 3.1 in) deep. [15] The female has a gestation period of about one month, and litters one or two children, [4] each weighing 40 to 50 g (1.4 to 1.8 oz). [15] The young are altricial at birth, [6] and leave the nest at three years of age, when they weigh about 180 to 200 g (6.3 to 7.1 oz). [15] Although observed to be secluded, the Smith's red rock hare associate closely with dassies. [4]

Conservation

Since 1996, the Smith's red rock hare has been rated as a species of 'least concern' on the  IUCN Red List of Endangered Species . This is because it is common in parts of its range in South Africa, has a large range—more than 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi)—and because its population numbers above 10,000 mature individuals in South Africa alone. Even though the state of the overall population is unclear, it is widespread, and characterized as abundant in Kuruman and Springbok. There is no data about the status of its east African range. [1]

Hunting poses a threat to the species and, although not considered to be a severe threat, it is also adversely affected from habitat destruction due to the building of houses on rocky outcrops. Since the 1900s to 2000, more than 20% habitat loss has occurred, and if the habitat loss would have continued at this same rate till 2022, its population decline in South Africa was predicted in 2004 to become greater than 10%. It occurs in provincial parks, national parks, and wildlife refuges in South Africa, and is also protected as a game species by provincial nature conservation agencies, seasonally. [1]

It occurs in Lavushi Manda National Park in Zambia. [7] [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lagomorpha</span> Order of mammals

The lagomorphs are the members of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha, of which there are two living families: the Leporidae and the Ochotonidae (pikas). There are 110 recent species of lagomorph, of which only 109 species in twelve genera are extant, including ten genera of rabbits ; one genus of hare and one genus of pika. The name of the order is derived from the Ancient Greek lagos + morphē.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leporidae</span> Family of lagomorphs

Leporidae is the family of rabbits and hares, containing over 70 species of extant mammals in all. The Latin word Leporidae means "those that resemble lepus" (hare). Together with the pikas, the Leporidae constitute the mammalian order Lagomorpha. Leporidae differ from pikas in that they have short, furry tails and elongated ears and hind legs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape hare</span> Species of mammal

The Cape hare, also called the brown hare and the desert hare, is a hare native to Africa and Arabia extending into India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jameson's red rock hare</span> Species of mammal

Jameson's red rock hare is a species of rabbit in the family Leporidae found in rocky habitats within Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique. It is a rufous and brown-furred nocturnal rabbit that is slightly smaller than the largest of the red rock hare species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese hare</span> Species of mammal

The Japanese hare is a species of hare endemic to Japan. In Japanese, it is called the Nousagi, meaning "field rabbit".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethiopian hare</span> Species of mammal

The Ethiopian hare is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It was first described in 1903, by the British mammalogist Oldfield Thomas. The dorsal pelage is brownish buff, and is finely grizzled with black. The ventral pelage is fluffy and white in colour. Endemic to Ethiopia, it is found in the Afromontane Biozone of Ethiopia, and in the borders of the Sudanian Savanna Biozone. It is rated as a least concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burmese hare</span> Species of mammal

The Burmese hare is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It is found in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese hare</span> Species of mammal

The Chinese hare is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It is found in China, Taiwan and Vietnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethiopian highland hare</span> Species of mammal

The Ethiopian highland hare or Starck's hare is a medium-sized species of mammal in the rabbit and hare family, Leporidae. Its dorsal pelage is grizzled, buff white and spotted and streaked with black, while its belly fur is pure white and fluffy. It is endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands, ranging over the Afroalpine regions of the Shoa, Bale, and Arsi Provinces of Ethiopia. A herbivore, it mostly feeds on moorland grasses. The IUCN rates it as a species of least concern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daurian pika</span> Species of mammal

The Daurian pika is a small relative of rabbits and hares in the order Lagomorpha. It is well known for its “barking” alarm call, and for its peculiar habit of making hay to help survive the winter. There are 4 recognized subspecies, Ochotona dauurica annectens, O.d. bedfordi, O.d. dauurica, and O.d. mursavi. Daurian pikas, like other lagomorphs, are characterized by a secondary set of incisor teeth. They are sexually monomorphic, with thick reddish coats. Pikas have no external tail, and their ears are large and rounded. The auditory bullae, a feature of the skull of daurian pikas are small in comparison to many other pikas. This is thought to be related to their fairly low altitude habitat preference. They are considered keystone species within their habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunyoro rabbit</span> Species of rabbit

The Bunyoro rabbit or Central African rabbit is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It is monotypic within the genus Poelagus. It is found in central Africa and its typical habitat is damp savannah, often with rocky outcrops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natal red rock hare</span> Species of mammal

The Natal red rock hare or greater red rock hare is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It has a slightly grizzled, grayish brown head and reddish brown upperparts. The dense fur is thick and rougher than other rock hares. It is endemic to Africa, and found in southeastern provinces of South Africa, eastern Lesotho, Eswatini, and southern Mozambique. It is a herbivore, primarily feeding on grass. It breeds throughout the year, and one or two pups are usually born in the summer. It is rated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red rock hare</span> Genus of mammals

The red rock hares are the four species in the genus Pronolagus. They are lagomorphs of the family Leporidae living in rocky habitats across Africa. Three species are restricted to Southern Africa, while one—Smith's red rock hare —is found as far north as Kenya. The red rock hares are rufous, dark brown, or reddish-brown-tailed rabbits that vary in size, with some shared physical characteristics being short ears and a lack of an interpareital bone. They have 42 chromosomes and are active during the night, feeding only on plants. Breeding results in litters of one to two altricial young.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican cottontail</span> Species of mammal

The Mexicаn cottontail is a species of cottontail rabbit in the family Leporidae. It is endemic to Mexico where its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or tropical dry forests and pastureland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marsh rabbit</span> Species of mammal

The marsh rabbit is a small cottontail rabbit found in marshes and swamps of coastal regions of the Eastern and Southern United States. It is a strong swimmer and found only near regions of water. It is similar in appearance to the eastern cottontail but is characterized by smaller ears, legs, and tail.

Lavushi Manda National Park is a national park in the Muchinga Province of Zambia with an area of 1,500 sq km. It is the 11th largest of the 20 National Parks in Zambia. The park was initially gazetted as a Game Reserve in 1941, and was declared a National Park in 1972. It is located in a district of the same name (Lavushimanda), with the South Luangwa National Park in the neighbouring Mpika District. It is adjacent to Bangweulu Game Management Area to the northwest, Kafinda Game Management Area lies further west. The chiefdom of Chiundaponde is in the northwest, north lies Luchembe, northwest Chikwanda, east Mpumba, and south lies Muchinka chiefdom. It covers a small range of mountains and hills, and is principally covered in miombo woodlands, with a number of rivers and streams, and a few areas of grassland, both on drier land or in the form of seasonally wet dambos. There are few large mammals, due to poaching in the previous century, but fishing and hiking are possible. Certain antelope species retreat upland to the park from the Bangweulu swamps to the northwest during the rainy season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hewitt's red rock hare</span> Species of mammal

Hewitt's red rock hare is a species of rabbit in the family Leporidae found in South Africa, Eswatini, and Lesotho. It is a medium-sized, densely-furred rufous and brown rabbit that behaves similarly to other red rock hares, with a preference for higher elevated rocky habitats. Previously classified as a subspecies of Smith's red rock hare, it is now regarded as its own species.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Child, M.F.; Matthee, C.M.; Robinson, T.J. (2019). "Pronolagus rupestris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T41295A45190415. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T41295A45190415.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Smith, A. (1834). "An Epitome of African Zoology; or, A Concise Description of the Objects of the Animal Kingdom Inhabiting Africa, its Islands and Seas". South African Quarterly Journal. Second Series. 2 (3): 174–175.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Hoffman, R.S.; Smith, A.T. (2005). "Order Lagomorpha". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 207. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Sekine, R. (2000). "Pronolagus rupestris (Smith's red rockhare)". Animal Diversity Web. Archived from the original on 2017-05-04. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  5. 1 2 Matthee, Conrad A.; Robinson, Terrence J. (1996). "Mitochondrial DNA differentiation among geographical populations of Pronolagus rupestris, Smith's red rock rabbit (Mammalia: Lagomorpha)". Heredity. 76 (5): 514–523. doi: 10.1038/hdy.1996.74 . PMID   8666547.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Happold, David C. D. (2013). Mammals of Africa. Vol. 3. A&C Black. p. 715. ISBN   9781408189962.
  7. 1 2 "Wildlife in Lavushi Manda". Lavushi Manda. Kasanka Trust. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  8. 1 2 Kapambwe, Mazuba (5 April 2018). "The Most Beautiful Hiking Trails in Northern Zambia". The Culture Trip. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 Foley, Charles; Foley, Lara; Lobora, Alex; Luca, Daniela De; Msuha, Maurus; Davenport, Tim R. B.; Durant (2014). "Hares and Rabbits: Lagomorpha" . A Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Tanzania. Princeton University Press. p. 90. ISBN   9781400852802.
  10. ↑ Ellerman, J. R.; Morrison-Scott, T. C. S.; Hayman, R. W. (1953). "Pronolagus rupestris A. Smith, 1834". Southern African Mammals 1758 to 1951: A Reclassification. London: Tonbridge. pp. 221–222.
  11. 1 2 Thomas, Oldfield (1902). "On Two new Hares allied to Oryctolagus crassicaudatus". The Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 7th ser. 10 (57): 244–246. doi:10.1080/00222930208678665.
  12. ↑ Meester, J. A. J.; Rautenbach, I. L.; Dippenaar, N. J.; Baker, C. M. (1986). "Pronolagus rupestris (A. Smith, 1834)". Classification of Southern African Mammals. Transvaal Museum Monographs. Vol. 5. Transvaal Museum. pp. 304–305. hdl: 10520/AJA090799001_112 . ISBN   0907990061.
  13. ↑ Happold, D. C. D. (2013). "Pronolagus rupestris Smith's Red Rock-hare". In Happold, David C. D. (ed.). Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Mammals of Africa. Vol. 3. London: Bloomsbury. pp. 715–716. ISBN   978-1-4081-8992-4.
  14. ↑ Watson, V. (1993). "Glimpses from Gondolin: a faunal analysis of a fossil site near Broederstroom, Transvaal, South Africa". Palaeontologia Africana. 30.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Skinner, J. D.; Chimimba, Christian T. (2005). The Mammals of the Southern African Sub-region. Cambridge University Press. p. 72. ISBN   9780521844185.
  16. 1 2 Stuart, Chris; Stuart, Tilde (2001). Field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa. Struik. p. 84. ISBN   9781868725373.[ permanent dead link ]
  17. 1 2 Kingdon, Jonathan (July 1984). East African Mammals: An Atlas of Evolution in Africa, Volume 2, Part B: Hares and Rodents. University of Chicago Press. p. 359. ISBN   9780226437200.
  18. 1 2 "Pronolagus rupestris - Smith's red rock hare (Species)". wildpro.twycrosszoo.org. Archived from the original on 2017-07-02. Retrieved 2017-09-01.

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