Hewitt's Red Rock Hare

Hewitt's red rock hare (''Pronolagus saundersiae'') is a species of rabbit in the family Leporidae found in South Africa, Eswatini, and Lesotho. It is a medium-sized, densely-furred rufous and brown rabbit that behaves similarly to other red rock hares, with a preference for higher elevated rocky habitats. Previously classified as a subspecies of Smith's red rock hare (''Pronolagus rupestris''), it is now regarded as its own species.

Like other red rock hares, ''P. saundersiae'' is nocturnal, and is presumed to feed on grasses, herbs, and shrubs. Its breeding patterns are also presumed to be similar to those of other red rock hares, with females producing three to four litters of altricial young each warm season. The species is predated upon by Verreaux's eagle, Cape eagle-owls, and leopards. It is considered a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is said to be "abundant" throughout its range, despite not being protected by any specific conservation measures. As a result of habitat loss caused by humans, the global population is expected to decrease.

Taxonomy

The Hewitt's red rock hare was named by John Hewitt (1880–1961), the director of the Albany Museum, South Africa. Hewitt originally described this taxon as a subspecies of '' Pronolagus crassicaudatus'' in his 1927 description. Its type locality was Grahamstown. He described this taxon based on skulls from Albany district, which were collected by Enid Saunders and Frank Bowker. The species was named after Saunders.

It is regarded as its own species due to differences in morphology (specifically having a snout bone shorter than its frontal bone, compared to Smith's red rock hare) and genetic differences in cytochrome b and 12S rRNA from other members of '' Pronolagus''. It has been previously classified as a subspecies of '' Pronolagus rupestris'' by various zoologists, including Ellerman, Morrison-Scott and Hayman, as well as Hoffmann and Smith for the third edition of ''Mammal Species of the World''. The two species are very closely related, diverging at an estimated date of .

Fossil record

Fossils of ''P. saundersiae'' are extremely sparse. Presence of its remains in archaeological studies are mentioned in lists of taxa found at a given site, but are never described or illustrated. It has specifically appeared in localities dating back to the Late Pleistocene, but further study is warranted to clarify its first appearance.

Characteristics

''P. saundersiae'' is a densely-furred, medium-sized () red rock hare that is largely brown with light rufous underparts and a sandy- to red-colored tail. Its sides are slightly lighter than its back in coloration, and its head is grayish-brown with grayish-white cheeks. The color of its fur varies by habitat.

Its adult head-body length measures between , and tail length between . The ear length measures , and the hind foot .

Distribution and habitat

''P. saundersiae'' is found in South Africa, Eswatini, and Lesotho. It specifically occurs in the South African provinces of Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as the western half of Eswatini and the entirety of Lesotho. Its range overlaps with that of Jameson's red rock hare in some regions, where the two species' habitats differ in elevation and rainfall, and the Natal red rock hare in others, where the two species are sympatric.

Its habitat is similar to that of other red rock hares. It occupies rocky escarpments, hillsides and kopjes, residing in particular on the tops of rocky outcroppings and in higher elevations in general. The tendency of ''P. saundersiae'' towards higher elevations in its habitat contributes towards its separation from other red rock hares in areas of overlapping distribution. Other regions ''P. saundersiae'' are found include elevated grassland and shrubland.

Behavior and ecology

''P. saundersiae'' is presumed to behave similarly to Smith's red rock hare—a nocturnal forager that shelters under boulders and in crevices. It is likely a folivore, preferring to eat grasses, herbs and shrubs. Known predators of ''P. saundersiae'' and red rock hares in general are Verreaux's eagle, Cape eagle-owls, and leopards.

Breeding takes place during the warm season, in which a female produces three to four litters, each yielding one to two young born altricial.

Threats and interactions with humans

The population of ''P. saundersiae'' was estimated to be over 10,000 mature individuals in 2004, and the species has been said to be "abundant" throughout its range. However, there are several threats to the species, of which many are anthropogenic. The main anthropogenic impact to the species is habitat loss caused by the ongoing expansion of commercial plantations, which has been ongoing for at least 100 years as of 2016. The expansion is expected to cause a decrease of less than 20% of the species' available habitat over the period of 2016 to 2036, which will cause a decline in the global population.

Conservation

''P. saundersiae'' is listed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). No specific conservation measures have been taken, though the species does occur in at least one protected area.

References

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Further reading

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q2924081

Pronolagus
Mammals described in 1927
Taxa named by John Hewitt (herpetologist)