Mammals · Rodentia · Pedetidae

Southern African Springhare

Pedetes capensis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The springhare is not a hare but a rodent, and one of the most peculiar in Africa. It moves in hops on its hind legs, like a kangaroo in miniature, using its long, furry tail as a counterweight. It digs systems of burrows in sandy soils and comes out at night to graze fresh grass, never straying far from an entrance. It plugs the mouth of the tunnel from inside with earth when it rests. It is a fundamental prey species for carnivores and nocturnal raptors.

Weight

2.5 kg – 4 kg

Size

35 cm – 45 cm

Lifespan

8 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaDesertGrasslandHerbivore Nocturnal Solitary Savanna Desert Grassland Mammal

43countries 28parks

Fun facts

GeneralIt looks like a miniature kangaroo, bounding as much as 2 m at a time on its hind legs.
Despite the name it is neither a hare nor a kangaroo: it is a rodent that makes up a family of its own and has no close living relatives.
It can cover more than two metres in a single bound and usually moves in a zigzag to throw off predators, its eyes shining in a torch beam from a great distance.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Savannah and arid grassland with sandy soils suitable for burrowing, in southern and eastern Africa
Sexual maturity: 2.8 years
Gestation / incubation: 2.6 months
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedetes_capensis