Cape hare

Species of mammal The Cape hare (Lepus capensis), also called the brown hare and the desert hare, is a hare native to Africa and Arabia extending into India. Taxonomy The Cape hare was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 with the binomial name Lepus capensis, published in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae. The Cape hare is part of a species complex. Lepus tolai and Lepus tibetanus were moved out based on geographic distribution and molecular characteristics. The current remaining grouping of Lepus capensis sensu lato remains paraphyletic. As of 2005, 12 subspecies were recognised: Lepus capensis capensis Lepus capensis aquilo Lepus capensis carpi Lepus capensis granti Lepus capensis aegyptius Lepus capensis hawkeri Lepus capensis isabellinus Lepus capensis sinaiticus Lepus capensis arabicus Lepus capensis atlanticus Lepus capensis whitakeri Lepus capensis schlumbergi Description The Cape hare is a typical hare, with well-developed legs for leaping and running, and large eyes and ears to look for threats from its environment. Usually, a white ring surrounds the eye. It has a fine, soft coat which varies in colour from light brown to reddish to sandy grey. Unusually among mammals, t