Springhare

About the Springhare

The South African springhare (Pedetes capensis) (Afrikaans: springhaas) is a medium-sized terrestrial and burrowing rodent. Despite the name, it is not a hare. It is one of two extant species in the genus Pedetes, and is native to southern Africa. Formerly, the genus was considered monotypic and the East African springhare (P. surdaster) was included in P. capensis.

Springhares live throughout semi-arid areas in southern Africa, preferentially in sandy plains and pans with short grasses. In agricultural areas, springhares can be considered a pest due to their destructive feeding on crops. However, they are not currently considered under an impending risk of extinction.

The springhare was named in English by William John Burchell in 1822, who derived "springhare" from the Afrikaans name springhaas. The generic name Pedetes comes from the Greek Πηδητές (Pidités), meaning "leaper or dancer". The specific name capensis, a Latin word meaning "of the Cape", refers to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Province, the species' type locality.

Originally named as Yerbua capensis by Johann Reinhold Forster in 1778, using a genus that was applied to kangaroos in the previous... Wikipedia →