Springhaas
The springhaas or springhare is a rodent. It is closely related to other mammal-like squirrels, beavers and other rodents. It is also known as a Spring Hare, Springhare and its scientific name Pedetes capensis (Forster, 1778)
The springhaas is built for jumping, with long hind legs and a strong bushy tail. In fact, it always leaves its underground burrow with a great leap in the air, probably to avoid any predators that might be waiting for it. When it’s frightened, the animal flees by hopping like a kangaroo, covering six to nine feet with every leap.
A male and female springhaas often dig several burrows, each of which has a series of tunnels. They spend their days sleeping in these underground homes, emerging at night to forage on bulbs and fleshy roots, plant stems and grains. They also occasionally eat insects.
Red List Category and Criteria
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Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, it occurs in a number of protected areas, has a tolerance of a degree of habitat modification, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. |
Range Distribution
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This species occurs in southern Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, western Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, south of the Zambezi River, and in South Africa in the Limpopo Province, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, although they are absent from the eastern parts, Free State, extreme north-western KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape. It has not been recorded from Lesotho.
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Habitat
Throughout their range they occur only where there is a suitable substrate, as they are unable to burrow in hard substrates and prefer lighter sandy soils. If they do occur in these areas, it is usually where there are intrusions of sandy alluvium, such as along rivers, or in patches of sandy soil overlaying hard ground. They are commonly seen on open sandy ground or sandy scrub, overgrazed grassland, on floodplain grassland or pans, and in cultivated areas.
The species is nocturnal, and forage in groups of two to six individuals.
Threats
| There are no major threats to this species as a whole. Springhare have great value as a source of protein, and Butynski (1975) estimated that, in Botswana, 2.5 million springhare were taken annually for food by the indigenous peoples. The San secure them by hooking them out of their burrows using a pole with a barb on the tip, as do the Ndebele in Zimbabwe using a burred seedpod lashed to the end of a pole which is screwed into the fur so tightly that the springhaas can be withdrawn. The San also use the skins to make water and food containers, mats or karosses, and the best thread is made from the tail sinews. In agricultural areas, springhare can become a problem; Butynski (1973) estimated that 10-15% of maize, sorghum, beans and groundnuts grown in Botswana were destroyed by springhare. |
