About Pedetes capensis (Forster, 1778)
Pedetes capensis, commonly known as the springhare, resembles a small kangaroo, with well-developed hind legs, short front legs, and a long tail that makes up half its total body length. Along with its long tail, the springhare has relatively large eyes and ears. Adult springhares reach a total length of 80 cm (31 in) including the tail, and weigh an average of 2.5–3.5 kg (5.5–7.7 lb). Like kangaroos, springhares are saltatorial animals that use their tails for balance. They are recorded to be able to make hops of 20 cm (7.9 in) and leaps of up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in).
Springhares have long, soft fur that is shorter around the legs, head, and ears. The mammal’s fur color ranges from reddish-brown on the upperparts to off-white on the belly, with a black tip on the tail. Ear tips may also be black in some individuals. Young springhares have finer, fluffier fur, and typically have black patches of fur under their hind feet and at the base of the tail. Springhares have different numbers of toes on their forelegs and hindlegs. Their short forelegs have five digits, each ending in a long, sharp, curved claw that can grow to 16 millimetres long. Their long hindlegs have four digits, three of which are visibly developed and bear a strong triangular nail. The oldest recorded springhare lived to 88 months, or 7 years and 4 months, old.
In terms of ecology and behaviour, springhares are nocturnal. They forage during the night and retreat to a burrow during the day. When sleeping in their burrows, they sleep standing up, with their head and forelimbs bent down between their hindlegs and their tail wrapped around their feet. A wide variety of predators hunt springhares, including humans; at least 21 different species prey on springhares in the Kalahari.
Springhares breed year-round, with a gestation period of approximately 77 days. Females give birth to a single young around three times per year, and can be lactating while in the early stages of pregnancy at the same time. Their ability to reproduce throughout the year is thought to come from their highly selective diet (they only choose the best parts of plants), their wide range of accessible food sources both above and underground, and their behavioural and physical adaptations to life in arid and semi-arid environments. Springhares give birth inside a burrow, and newborns are already covered in fur and weigh around 250 to 300 g. Single offspring are most common, though twin births have been recorded. While the young stays in the burrow, the mother stops her usual behaviour of moving to a new burrow every couple of days, and stays tied to the burrow where her young, which depends entirely on her milk, lives. The young remains in the burrow for approximately seven weeks, until it reaches a body weight of around 1.3 kg. This extended period of parental care may help offset the springhare’s unusually low birth rate among rodents.
Traditionally, the San and baTswana peoples both use springhares. Both groups hunt the animal for meat, which can yield up to 1360 g (3 lb) per individual. Beyond meat, the San people use springhare skins for many items, including bags, mats, karosses (garments or blankets sewn from animal skins), and hats. Springhare tails provide sinew for sewing, and an ornamental sound-producing belt can be made by tying springhare toes onto a string.
