Pronolagus saundersiae, Hewitt, 1927

Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Leporidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 107-148 : 111

5.

Hewitt’s Red Rock Hare

Pronolagus saundersiae

French: Lapin de Hewitt / German: Hewitt-Wollschwanzhase / Spanish: Liebre roja de Hewitt

Taxonomy. Pronolagus crassicaudatus saundersiae Hewitt, 1927 ,

“Albany District,” Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Initially, P. saundersiae was included as a subspecies of P crassicaudatus . Later, P. saundersiae was included as a subspecies of P. rupestris but now has species status. Distribution of P. saundersiae does not overlap that of P. rupestris , but the eastern part of its distribution overlaps that of P crassicaudatus and the north-western part that of P. randensis . Monotypic.

Distribution. S & E South Africa (Western, Northern and Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga provinces), Lesotho, and W Swaziland.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 380-540 mm, tail 50-115 mm, ear 80-110 mm, hindfoot 85-100 mm; weight 1.4-2.1 kg. Hewitt’s Red Rock Hare is medium-sized and has thick, dense, woolly fur. Dorsal pelage is grizzled brown anteriorly, rufous posteriorly, and bright rufous on rump. Flanks are pale, and ventral fur is pale rufous to whitish rufous. Head and ears are grayish brown, and cheeks are grayish white. Throat patch is brownish, and nuchal patch is rufous. Forelimbs are bright rufous, and hindlimbs are pale rufous. Tail is red or pale sandy. Fur color varies geographically.

Habitat. Solid rocks (“kopjes”) and rocky hillsides with boulders, where grassy or scrubby vegetation occurs. Rock crevices and boulders are essential habitat features, and gaps between them naturally fragment populations. Hewitt’s Red Rock Hare is generally found at higher elevations than Smith’s Red Rock Hare ( P. rupestris ) in South Africa.

Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Hewitt’s Red Rock Hare is widely distributed and presumably has a large population. Overall population is estimated at more than 10,000 adults and predicted to decline at a rate of less than 10% during the next 20 years. Habitat loss has occurred over the past 100 years and is predicted to continue by less than 20% over the next 20 years due to commercial plantations.

Bibliography. Duthie & Robinson (1990), Friedmann & Daly (2004), Happold (2013c), Hoffmann & Smith (2005), Matthee & Robinson (1996), Matthee, Collins & Keith (2004b), Smith & Johnston (2008a), Smithers (1983), Whiteford (1995).

Figures

33. Indian Hare (Lepus nigricollis), 34. Burmese Hare (Lepus peguensis), 36. Scrub Hare (Lepus saxatilis), 37. African Savanna Hare (Lepus victoriae), 38. Yarkand Hare (Lepus yarkandensis), 39. Ethiopian Highland Hare (Lepus starcki), 40. Cape Hare (Lepus capensis), 41. Abyssinian Hare (Lepus habessinicus), 42. Tolai Hare (Lepus tolai), 43. Desert Hare (Lepus tibetanus), 44. Yunnan Hare (Lepus comus), 45. Woolly Hare (Lepus oiostolus), 46. Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus), 47. Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), 48. Black Jackrabbit (Lepus insularis)

Distribution. S & E South Africa (Western, Northern and Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga provinces), Lesotho, and W Swaziland.