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Fast Facts:

  • The Springhare resembles a kangaroo with short forearms and strong, powerful hind legs.

  • The Springhare is not related to either the kangaroo or the hare, but is the only living genus and species of the family Pedetidae.

  • They can jump 10-25 feet in a single horizontal leap.

Springhare

Scientific Name Pedetes capensis
Classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Pedetidae
Status Vulnerable
Range Zaire, Kenya and South Africa
Habitat Sandy, dry soil
Diet Herbivores, they have been found to eat some insects such as beetles and grasshoppers
Size Height: 16 inches
Tail Length: 15-18 inches
Weight: 9 lbs.
Lifespan 15 yrs.
Location
Print Fact Sheet Springhare

Special Features

  • The tail is used for balance and for sitting.
  • The front feet have 5 toes with long, sharp nails while their large back feet have 4 toes with tiny, wide hoof-like nails.
  • The front claws are especially adept at digging.
  • They are ricochetal, moving by hopping in the same manner as kangaroos when startled or frightened, but moving in a quadrupedal fashion at other times.
  • Their extremely long ears have a tragus which can be folded back to cover the ear when it is digging.


Social Structure & Behavior

Mostly nocturnal, they are occasionally active during the daytime. They live in complex burrow systems with many exits that can be blocked with dirt from the inside. When it first emerges from its burrow it will spring up into the air to avoid any predators that may be waiting outside their burrows.

Reproduction
Gestation is 78-82 days. Two to four young are born in the burrow. They are weaned at 7 weeks old. Most females breed during lactation and will have 3-4 litters per year. Babies are born with teeth and eat solid food within a few days.

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