Spring hares live in a variety of habitats throughout Eastern and Southwestern Africa. They thrive on semi-arid steppes and savannas of Kenya and Tanzania. They dig their burrows near good foraging and water supplies but avoid rocky and large bushy areas due to their kangaroo like leaping motion when running.

Spring hares are nocturnal. Adult males are mostly solitary and live in burrows. Similarly, females living with their young, forage in small groups. Both sexes dig their own burrows using their 2 tiny front legs well endowed with 5 sharp claws. Locomotion while foraging is somewhat similar to most quadrupeds albeit it's oddness due to the very short front feet. Leaping is their motion of preference during flight from predators.

BREEDING

Little is known about the social life of the spring hare. Females usually bear three babies per year. Their young are born at approximately 1/3 of an adult's body weight which runs between 6 to 9 lbs.

This specimen is an now an adult captured by African boys to keep as a pet. Upon birth, the young can sit immediately on it's hind legs. They can run on the second day but are rarely out of their burrow until half grown. Sexual maturity is not precisely known but usually occurs at approximately one year old. Mating occurs all year round.

FOOD & FORAGING

While spring hares are herbiverous, their diet extends beyond herbs to roots and fruit. They will raid farmer's crops such as peanuts, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, wheat and corn along with other of man's staples. When feeding several animals forage near one another. They usually stay within a quarter mile radius of their burrows. They have been known to travel as much as a dozen miles per night in search of food and water during severe droughts.

SPRING HARES & MAN

Spring hares are to some degree used as food by African people similarly as the common hare is still hunted all over the world. They are also kept as pets by rural African kids. Man is currently not the major threat to the spring hare. The real predators that keep their population in check are mostly wild cats, several cats, genets, mongooses, jackals, ratels and large owls. Regardless, they are very numerous and not in any danger as a species. The pedetes capensis is basically the single known species of spring hares from the single genus of the Pedetidae family. It's ricochetal /moving by hopping mode of locomotion is very similar to that of kangaroos. It's odd appearance has traditionally presented difficulties of classification by scientists, who have finally allotted it's own family as a rodent.

Length: Approx 17" body with 20" bushy tail
Weight: 6 to 9 lbs at adulthood

Sexual Maturity: Approx 1 year
Mating: All year round
Gestation: Avg 77 days (2 to 3 month span)
Number of young: 1

Habit: Nocturnal feeding, solitary except to breed
Diet: Mostly herbivorous along with roots, fruits, & raiding of farmer's crops.
Lifespan: 8-14 years in captivity

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