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Not much is known about the communication of C. hispidus. It is known that all rabbits and hares (members of the family Leoporidae) secrete scent from glands in the groin area and under the chin. The scent is apparently used in sexual communication. Many rabbits and hares use foot drumming as a means of communication.
Because C. hispidus is a mammal, we can infer that they use some visual signals. Also, there is probably tactile communication between mates, as well as between mothers and their offspring, although most lagomorph mothers do not provide extensive parental care.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; chemical
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Hispid hares are one of the worlds rarest mammals. This animal was feared extinct in 1964, but in 1966, one was spotted. The range of this animal is much smaller than it once was. There were an estimated 110 hispid hares worldwide in 2001. Due to rapid habitat destruction, lack of success in captivity, and hunting, their numbers continue to shrink. As a result of their rarity, little is known about hispid hares. These animals are threatened mainly due to conversion of their habitat to agriculture and grassland burning. They are often confused with the more common Lepus nigricollis and are therefore hunted for food. They are also preyed on by dogs.
US Federal List: endangered
CITES: appendix i
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: endangered
Hispid hares are believed to be crop pests.
Negative Impacts: crop pest
Humans hunt these animals for food.
Positive Impacts: food
This animal is believed to be prey for dogs as well as humans. Other information is unknown.
C. hispidus is an herbivorous animal. The diet of C. hispidus consists mainly of bark, shoots and roots of grasses (including thatch species), and crops on occasion. Although hispid hares feed in a preferred locale (specific to each animal), they choose to feed in different sites within this locale.
Plant Foods: leaves; roots and tubers; wood, bark, or stems
Primary Diet: herbivore (Lignivore)
Caprolagus hispidus has previously been recorded along the southern foothills of the Himalayan mountain chain, in the area from Uttar Pradesh, through Nepal, Sikkim, Bengal, and Bhutan, to Assam. Hispid hares are currently very rare, and are extinct over most of this area. They are now confined to northwestern Assam, and a few areas in Nepal.
Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (Native )
Generally, hispid hares live in areas with tall-grass savannah. They enjoy habitats that are essentially flat, well drained, and thinly forested. Since hispid hares are dependent on the roots and shoots of thatch for food, they are associated with areas that have a high amount of thatch, commonly referred to as thatchland or elephant grass. This vegetation grows up to 3.5 meters in height (during the monsoon).
In the early months of the year (January through April), the grassland and nearby forests are set on fire in an attempt to control the faunal composition of the region. Hispid hares move to cultivated fields and shelter on the banks of dried up streams. Once the monsoon reaches its peak, the thatch becomes waterlogged and C. hispidus moves to the forested areas of nearby foothills.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland
Other Habitat Features: agricultural
Since hispid hares are hard to find, not much is known about their natural lifespan. In captivity, these animals do not survive very long. There were four or five hispid hares captured for the Gauhati Zoo during 1975, but they all died during transport. Another pair was captured in 1976 and was kept for two to three months until one escaped and the other was released. One captured hare wanted to avoid humans so much that he fractured his skull by dashing his head against the wire enclosure.
Mass avererages 2500 grams, and length ranges from 405 to 538 mm. C. hispidus have short, broad ears, and small eyes. This species has strong claws and large teeth. The hind legs of C. hispidus are short and stout, not often exceeding the length of the forelimbs. There are two layers of fur: a coarse, bristly, outer layer, and an under layer which is shorter and finer. The top layer of pelage is dark brown in color due to a mixture of black and brownish-white hairs, whereas the bottom layer consists of hair that is strictly brownish white. The tail also has two layers of pelage, both of which are brown; the top layer is darkest.
Average mass: 2.5 kg.
Range length: 405 to 538 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
There are no known anti-predator adaptations among C. hispidus. Dogs and humans are apparently the greatest predators of these hares.
Known Predators:
There is no available information about the mating systems of C. hispidus. Because this species is the only one in the genus Caprolagus, we are not able to make any generalizations about reproduction in this species based on close relatives.
Little is known about the reproduction of C. hispidus. However, locals have reported catching young from January to March. Two out of three females captured in the months of January and February were pregnant.
Members of the family Leporidae are known to have a gestation of 25 to 50 days. Within the family, females usually give birth to between two and eight young, although there can be as many as 15 young per litter in some species. Females are typically polyestrous, and can give birth to several litters per year.
Breeding interval: Hispid hares breed once or twice per year.
Breeding season: Based on capture of pregnant females, breeding apparently occurs in late winter or early spring.
Range number of offspring: 2 to 5.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization ; viviparous
There is little information available about the parental care habits of C. hispidus. It is assumed that this species is similar to other members of the order Lagomorpha. Most lagomorphs exhibit little or no parental care. Males have never exhibited any form of parental care, but females feed the young for about 5 minutes every 24 hours. This is the only contact between the mother and young.
Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-fertilization (Protecting: Male, Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female)
