Ethiopian hare

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Ethiopian hare

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Lagomorpha
Family: Leporidae
Genus: Lepus
Species:
L. fagani
Binomial name
Lepus fagani
Ethiopian hare range

The Ethiopian hare (Lepus fagani) is a species of

least concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature
.

Taxonomy

The Ethiopian hare is a species of the family

British Museum of Natural History.[5][2] Describing the hare's taxonomy in 1986, Derek Yalden and colleagues wrote "its nomenclatural history has been very confused".[6]

In 1959 and 1964 respectively,

lowlands. Flux and Angermann suggested that this isolation in population probably lead to the evolution of the Ethiopian hare as a different species.[10] In 1990, Flux and Angermann wrote it is "probably" a subspecies of the African savanna hare or of the scrub hare (Lepus saxatilis).[10] It is usually considered to be a part of the African savanna hare-scrub hare complex.[10][4] The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals also treats it as a subspecies of the Cape hare (Lepus capensis).[12] A genetic study suggests that the Ethiopian hare recently descended from the Abyssinian hare.[13]

Its

type locality is the Zege Peninsula, Lake Tana, Ethiopia at an elevation of 4,000 ft (1,200 m).[a][5]

Description

The Ethiopian hare is a medium-sized, dark coloured hare,

nuchal patch, extends on to the neck-sides.[4] The ears are medium-sized,[5] buff coloured, and measure 8.1 to 9.5 cm (3.2 to 3.7 in) in length. The lower outer-margins of the ears have buff or white fringe, the upper outer-margins have buff fringe, and the inner surfaces of the tip of the ears have narrow, black rims. The principal incisor teeth have deep grooves filled completely with cement. The dorsal parts of the upper incisor teeth are sloped laterally, forming an angled anterior surface. The forefeet are cinnamon-brown and have blackish brown furs at the soles. The hindfeet are white below, brownish buff above, and measure 9 to 11 cm (3.5 to 4.3 in) in length. The soles of the hindfeet have ginger-brown or blackish brown fur.[4]

The Abyssinian hare is similar to the Ethiopian hare, but it has soft dorsal pelage, longer ears, and a longer tail. The Ethiopian highland hare (Lepus starcki) is also a similar species, but it has longer ears, a longer tail, and its grooves of the principal upper incisor teeth are not filled with cement. The Cape hare is also similar to the Ethiopian hare, but has longer ears, grizzled-greyish pelage, and brownish pink nuchal patch.[4]

Distribution and habitat

The Ethiopian hare is

Ethiopian Highlands,[4] and abundantly found around the Lake Tana in Ethiopia.[10][14] It has also been possibly recorded in southeastern Sudan and in extreme northwestern Kenya.[4]

It has taken over the habitat that was occupied by the Abyssinian hare.[15] It inhabits grasslands, steppes, grassy parts of forests,[1] and forest peripheries. It prefers a relatively less open habitat than that of the Abyssinian hare, and similar to the preference by the African savanna hare in Kenya.[4] It is found at elevations of 500 to 2,500 m (1,600 to 8,200 ft) above sea level. Its distribution is allopatric or parapatric with that of the African savanna hare.[1]

Behaviour and ecology

Ornamentation of a male R. pulchellus, a tick known to feed on Ethiopian hares.

No data regarding its behaviour, ecology, or reproduction has been recorded.

parasitizing the Ethiopian hare.[17]

Status and conservation

Since 1996, the status of the Ethiopian hare has been 

least concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature since 2019.[1]

Notes

  1. ^ Thomas wrote it as: "Zegi, Lake Tsana".

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T11798A45178437.en
    . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8018-9533-3
  3. ^
    OCLC 62265494
    .
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4081-8992-4
    .
  5. ^ a b c d e Thomas, Oldfield (1903). "On a Collection of Mammals from Abyssinia, including some from Lake Tsana, collected by Mr. Edward Degen". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1902 (2): 315–316.
  6. doi:10.1080/03749444.1986.10736707
    .
  7. S2CID 83593496
    .
  8. ^ Corbet, Gordon Barclay; Yalden, Derek William (1972). "Recent records of mammals (other than bats) from Ethiopia". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Zoology. 22 (8): 213–252.
  9. S2CID 85403363
    .
  10. ^
    ISBN 9782831700199
    .
  11. ISBN 978-3-540-72445-2
    .
  12. ISBN 978-1-4729-2135-2
  13. PMID 28767659
    .
  14. ISBN 978-3-319-45755-0
    .
  15. S2CID 53457541
    .
  16. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2012.09.001
    .
  17. ISBN 9780511661754
    .
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