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The Cape hare (Lepus capensis), also called the brown hare and the desert hare, is a hare native to Africa and Arabia extending into India.[1]

Taxonomy

The Cape hare was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 with the binomial name Lepus capensis, published in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae.[2]

The Cape hare is part of a species complex. Lepus tolai and Lepus tibetanus were moved out based on geographic distribution and molecular characteristics. The current remaining grouping of Lepus capensis sensu lato remains paraphyletic.[3]

As of 2005, 12 subspecies were recognised:[4]

Description

The Cape hare is a typical hare, with well-developed legs for leaping and running, and large eyes and ears to look for threats from its environment. Usually, a white ring surrounds the eye. It has a fine, soft coat which varies in colour from light brown to reddish to sandy grey. Unusually among mammals, the female is larger than the male, an example of sexual dimorphism.[citation needed]

Distribution and habitat

The Cape hare inhabits macchia-type vegetation, grassland, bushveld, the Sahara Desert and semi-desert areas. It is also common in parts of the Ethiopian Highlands, such as Degua Tembien.[5]

Behavior and ecology

A Cape hare caught by an Asiatic cheetah in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, Iran.

The Cape hare is a nocturnal herbivore, feeding on grass and various shrubs. Coprophagy, the consumption of an organism’s own fecal material to double the amount of time food spends in the digestive tract, is a common behaviour amongst rabbits and hares. This habit allows the animal to extract the maximum nourishment from its diet, and microbes present in the pellets also provide nutrients.[citation needed]

After a 42-day-long pregnancy, the female gives birth to from one to three young, termed leverets, per litter and may have as many as 4 litters per year. A characteristic of hares which differentiates them from rabbits is that the young are born precocial; that is, the young are born with eyes open and are able to move about shortly after birth.[citation needed]

One Cape hare kept in captivity lived to nearly 9 years, but their longevity in the wild is uncertain.[6]

In culture

An example of an ancient Egyptian mummified Lepus capensis has been recorded in a tomb near Dendera.[7] The Egyptian god Unut was a cape hare.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ a b Johnston, C.H.; Robinson, T.J.; Child, M.F.; Relton, C. (2019). “Lepus capensis“. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019 e.T41277A45186750. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T41277A45186750.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ Linnaeus, C. (1758). “Lepus capensis“. Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis (in Latin). Vol. I (10th revised ed.). Holmiae: Laurentii Salvii. p. 58.
  3. ^ Lado, S.; Alves, P.C.; Islam, M.Z.; Brito, J.C.; Melo-Ferreira, J. (2019). “The evolutionary history of the Cape hare (Lepus capensis sensu lato): insights for systematics and biogeography”. Heredity. 123 (5): 634–646. Bibcode:2019Hered.123..634L. doi:10.1038/s41437-019-0229-8. PMC 6972951. PMID 31073237.
  4. ^ Hoffmann, R.S.; Smith, A.T. (2005). “Order Lagomorpha”. In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 196–197. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  5. ^ Aerts, R. (2019). “Forest and woodland vegetation in the highlands of Dogu’a Tembien”. In Nyssen J.; Jacob, M.; Frankl, A. (eds.). Geo-trekking in Ethiopia’s Tropical Mountains: The Dogu’a Tembien District. Springer International Publishing. ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6.
  6. ^ “Cape hare (Lepus capensis) longevity, ageing, and life history”. AnAge: the Animal Ageing and Longevity Database. Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  7. ^ Gautier, A. (2005). “Animal mummies and remains from the necropolis of Elkab (Upper Egypt)”. Archaeofauna. 14: 139–170.