Yarkand hare | |
---|---|
Drawing, circa 1879 | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Lagomorpha |
Family: | Leporidae |
Genus: | Lepus |
Species: | L. yarkandensis |
Binomial name | |
Lepus yarkandensis Günther, 1875 | |
Yarkand hare range |
The Yarkand hare (Lepus yarkandensis) is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. [2] It has soft, straight, sandy brown dorsal pelage which has grayish-black stripes, and completely white ventral pelage. Endemic to China, the Yarkand hare is restricted to the Tarim Basin in Southern Xinjiang, China. It is mainly nocturnal, and forages on grass and crops. The female produces two or three litters annually, each consisting of two to five young. It is rated as near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species and by the Red List of China's Vertebrates. However, Chinese geneticists have stated the species is "endangered" due to limited habitat and its fragmentation, and over-hunting and poaching.
In 1875, the German zoologist Albert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther first described the Yarkand hare, giving it the name Lepus yarkandensis, in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. [3] Gureev in 1964 and also by Averianov in 1998 placed the species in the subgenus Tarimolagus. It has no recognized subspecies. [4] Low gene flow and genetic subdivision occurs among isolated populations of the Tarim Basin. [5] [6] The analysis of mitochondrial D-loop sequence has shown that significant genetic divergence was observed among some populations, but not much genetic divergence was observed among other populations. [7] In the populations inhabiting the southern periphery of the Taklamakan Desert, a lower level of genetic diversity was found. It is thought that the pattern of lineage mixing shown by the mitochondrial Cytochrome b DNA data could be due to the extensive gene flow among the Yarkand hare populations. It could be explained by the probable demographic expansion of the species during the late Pleistocene interglacial period. [8] The eastern and northern distribution ranges may have undergone three postglacial colonizations. [9]
It is a small hare, measuring 285 to 430 mm (11.2 to 16.9 in) in length, and weighs 1.1 to 1.9 kg (2.4 to 4.2 lb). The skull is small, measuring 76 to 88 mm (3.0 to 3.5 in) in length. It has narrow nasal cavities with their back portions being straight and flat. The supraorbital process is low and flat, or are slightly curved upward. The auditory bullae are round and tall, and the palatal bridge is narrow. It has soft, straight, sandy brown dorsal pelage which has grayish black stripes, and completely white ventral pelage. It has long ears, measuring 90 to 110 mm (3.5 to 4.3 in) in length, which lacks black at the tips. The winter pelage is lighter in tone, and is light sandy brown above. [5] The underparts are white. [10] The tail is 55 to 86 mm (2.2 to 3.4 in) long, and is smoke gray in colour, having whitish or creamy yellowish white below and along the sides. The upper incisors are filled with cement, and have V-shaped grooves. [5] The forefeet are very pale and are brown at the front, and the hindfeet are paler, brown at the front too, [10] and measure 90 to 110 mm (3.5 to 4.3 in) in length. [5]
It is distinguished from the desert hare (Lepus tibetanus), by its lack of black near the tip the peripheries of the ears. It is also distinguished from the Lepus oiostolus pallipes, by its lack of grey at the rump. It is also smaller in size and has thinner legs, than both the desert hare and the Lepus oiostolus pallipes. [3]
The species is easily distinguishable from other Chinese hares, having longer ears than the Chinese hare (Lepus sinensis). Like the woolly hare (Lepus oiostolus) and the Chinese hare, an examination of the skull shows the groove on the front face of the upper incisors is filled with cement. [11]
Endemic to China, the Yarkand hare is restricted to the Tarim Basin in Southern Xinjiang, China. [12] Its complete distribution, according to Angermann, falls in between 36° N and 42° N latitudes, and 76° E and 92° E longitudes. [1]
It prefers basins and desert areas vegetated with Chinese tamarisk ( Tamarix chinensis ), brush, [11] or poplar ( Populus ), along the peripheries of rivers that surround the mountains in the Taklamakan Desert. [5] [1] This distribution of the Yarkand hare is ring shaped. It also uses reed vegetation along rivers for shelter, and tends to avoid agricultural fields. [1] About 200,000 individuals are estimated to inhabit the Tarim Basin. [7]
However, in 2010 Y.H. Wu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences flatly writes that the species is "endangered" due primarily to its fragmented and isolated islands of population. As Professor Wu wrote:
The Yarkand hare is an endangered species. ... [It] is distributed in scattered oases which are physically isolated by desert. [8]
Thus, its "natural fragmented habitat makes it an ideal object for study effect of habitat fragmentation on its genetic structure." [8]
It is a mainly nocturnal species, generally out in early morning or late evening, [13] but may also feed at night. It hides in depressions, under vegetation, during the day. [5] Foraging on grass and crops, [1] the hare uses traditional foraging routes which can be 1 to 2 km (0.62 to 1.24 mi) long. Breeding season begins in February and can be seven to eight months long, extending up to September. [1] [5] The female produces two or three litters annually, each consisting of two to five young. [5] Although there is no information on its home range, a high population density was previously inferred. In 1983, Gao recorded that in three hours observing in the field, four people could find 20 or more Yarkand hares. [13]
Their main predator is the eagle. [11]
Since 1996, it has been rated as a near threatened species on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. This is because it has a restricted area of occupancy; although it is a widespread species and has been reported as commonly found within its distribution. Additionally, its population trends, declining about 30%, warrants it a near threatened status, nearly meeting the criteria to be rated as vulnerable. [1] It is hunted as a game species and, between 1958 and 1981, annually about 10,000 furs were produced from the Yarkand hare. [13] Human activities such as transportation development and petroleum exploration has led to the population decline of the species. The Red List of China's Vertebrates has listed it as near threatened, and earlier it had been regionally listed as vulnerable. It occurs in the Aerjinshan, Luobupoyeluotuo, and Talimuhuyanglin Nature Reserves. As the IUCN report notes:
However, increased human activity within its range is undoubtedly impacting this species negatively. At present, there are no data available to quantify ongoing population decline. It is assumed that declines are moderate (approximately 30%) and is, therefore, listed as Near Threatened nearly qualifying for listing as Vulnerable (VU) under A2cd. The species occurs only in the widely spaced oases that surround the Tarim – making it highly fragmented; the majority of the desert has no water or vegetation. More data are needed on the actual population level of L. yarkandensis in the oases that define its AOO, as well as whether or not the species is currently poached for food or pelts.
Although it was regionally "classified as VU under criteria A1cd (Wang and Xie 2004)" a better criterion A2 was preferred, "as the cause(s) of decline have not ceased and are expected to continue in the future." [1]
The synergy of habitat loss, habitat patchiness and unsustainable harvest are cause for conservation concern. [5] As indicated previously, Chinese researchers think it is "endangered." [8]
Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus Lepus. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The genus includes the largest lagomorphs. Most are fast runners with long, powerful hind legs, and large ears to dissipate body heat. Hare species are native to Africa, Eurasia and North America. A hare less than one year old is called a "leveret". A group of hares is called a "husk", a "down", or a "drove".
The mountain hare, also known as blue hare, tundra hare, variable hare, white hare, snow hare, alpine hare, and Irish hare, is a Palearctic hare that is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats.
The European hare, also known as the brown hare, is a species of hare native to Europe and parts of Asia. It is among the largest hare species and is adapted to temperate, open country. Hares are herbivorous and feed mainly on grasses and herbs, supplementing these with twigs, buds, bark and field crops, particularly in winter. Their natural predators include large birds of prey, canids and felids. They rely on high-speed endurance running to escape predation, having long, powerful limbs and large nostrils.
The Tehuantepec jackrabbit is a jackrabbit endemic to Mexico.
The Tarim Basin deciduous forests and steppe is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China. The ecoregion includes deciduous riparian forests and steppes sustained by the region's rivers in an otherwise arid region.
The Yarkand deer, also known as the Theenivs deer, Tarim deer, or Lop Nor stag, is a subspecies of the Central Asian red deer that is native to the province of Xinjiang, China. It is similar in ecology to the related Bactrian deer in occupying lowland riparian corridors surrounded by deserts. Both populations are isolated from one another by the Tian Shan Mountains and probably form a primordial subgroup of the Central Asian red deer.
The Korean hare is a species of hare native to the Korean Peninsula and adjoining parts of northeastern China. The Korean hare inhabits diverse habitats within its range, from remote mountain forests to cultivated land. Fur colour varies slightly among individuals, but is generally some shade of liver brown.
The Manchurian hare is a species of hare found in northeastern China and Russia, the Amur River basin, and the higher mountains of northern North Korea. It lives in forests and the IUCN has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The Central Asian red deer, also known as the Tarim red deer, is a deer species native to Central Asia, where it used to be widely distributed, but is scattered today with small population units in several countries. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2017. It was first described in the mid-19th century.
The Yunnan hare is a medium-sized species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It has soft, flat, and long dorsal pelage which is grayish brown or dark gray in color, and whitish ventral pelage. It was considered endemic to China, but its presence was recorded in northern Myanmar in 2000. It is a herbivore, and forages on shrubs and forbs. It is rated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. The Red List of China's Vertebrates has listed the Yunnan hare as near threatened, almost meeting the criteria to be listed as vulnerable.
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.
The woolly hare is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It is found in western and central China, northern India, and Nepal, where its typical habitat is montane grassland. It has a wide range and is present in some protected areas but is a generally uncommon species; the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
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.
Forrest's pika is a species of mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, and Myanmar. The summer dorsal pelage and ventral pelage are dark rufous or blackish brown, and the winter dorsal pelage is a grayish brown, slightly lighter in tone than the ventral pelage. It is a generalist herbivore. It was assessed by the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species as insufficiently known in 1994, as near threatened in 1996, and re-assessed in 2008 as a species of least concern.
Glover's pika is a species of mammal in the family Ochotonidae. It was first described in 1922, by Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas. The summer dorsal pelage is grayish rufous, grayish brown, or tea brown in colour. The winter pelage is similar to the summer pelage, but is lighter in tone. Endemic to China, it is found in high altitudes of northeastern Tibet, southwestern Qinghai, western Sichuan, and northwestern Yunnan. It is a generalist herbivore, and is known to construct haypiles. It is rated as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is also regionally red listed as least concern in China.
The Moupin pika, also known as Ribetischer Pika, Moupin-Pika, Pika del Tibet, and Manipuri pika, is a species of mammal in the pika family, Ochotonidae. It has many subspecies, some of which may be distinct species. Its summer pelage is dark russet-brown with some light spots on the dorsal side, and ochraceous buff tinged on the belly. In winter it is lighter, with buff to dull brown dorsal pelage. A generalist herbivore, it is found in the mountains of the eastern Tibetan Plateau in China, Bhutan, India (Sikkim), and northern Myanmar. Both the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species and the Red List of China's Vertebrates classify it as a species of least concern; although one subspecies may be endangered.
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.
The wild Bactrian camel is a critically endangered species of camel living in parts of northwestern China and southwestern Mongolia. It is closely related to the domestic Bactrian camel. Both are large, double-humped even-toed ungulates native to the steppes of central Asia. Until recently, wild Bactrian camels were thought to have descended from domesticated Bactrian camels that became feral after being released into the wild. However, genetic studies have established it as a separate species which diverged from the Bactrian camel about 1.1 million years ago.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)