Chinese hare
Chinese hare ( Lepus sinensis)
The Chinese hare ( Lepus sinensis ) is a mammal in the genus of the Real hares among lagomorphs. The distribution extends over parts of the South China including Taiwan and northern Vietnam.
Features
The Chinese Rabbit is small with a head -body length of 35 to 45 centimeters, a tail length from 4.0 to 5.7 centimeters and a weight of 1025-1940 grams. The hind feet have a length of 81-111 mm, the ears are small and measure 60-82 mm. The coat is short and rough, the coat color consists of numerous shades of brown chestnut brown to reddish brown and is highly variable. The back side of the head and the tail are sandy brown, dark brown or gray-brown, often with chestnut and auburn shares. The underside is lighter, but does not contrast strongly with the back color. Is located at the tops of the ears, a black triangular design, and the eyes have a dark surround. The winter coat is yellowish and is interspersed with schwarzspitzigen hair.
The skull has a long, hooked nose on legs. The processus supra-orbital, an extension of the frontal bone above the eye is formed only small. The tympanic bladder is small. The genome consists of two sets of chromosomes, each with 24 chromosomes (2n = 48 chromosomes).
Distribution and habitat
The distribution area of Chinese hares extends over parts of the South China south of the Yangtze River and northern Vietnam. He lives in addition to the offshore island of Taiwan. So far could not be determined for individual populations west of the known distribution area, whether it is Chinese or the occurrence of the Burmese hares (Lepus peguensis ).
As habitat open and shrubby grasslands are preferred in the hill country. The distribution ranges in bamboo forests at altitudes 4000-5000 meters.
Way of life
The Chinese hare is nocturnal but can occasionally also be observed during the day. It feeds mainly on leaves, green sprouts and branches. He does not dig its own buildings, but uses the burrows of other animals. These buildings have a flat entrance and the rabbit placed its faecal pellets at the entrance.
The mating season lasts from April to August. During this time, the females give birth in their burrows litters with an average of three pups born.
System
The Chinese Rabbit is assigned as an independent species the genuine rabbit ( genus Lepus ). It originally endemic on the Korean peninsula and today regarded as an independent species Korea hare ( Lepus coreanus ) was considered as a subspecies of the Chinese hare. Today, three subspecies are distinguished, the nominate race L. s sinensis, L. see yuenshanensis and L. formosus see on Taiwan.
Threats and conservation
Data on the population size of the rabbit are not available. For Vietnam, only small populations are accepted and the latest confirmed data are from the 1990s. Here he lives in very densely populated areas with high hunting pressure. In China, the rabbit is found in numerous nature reserves and is not considered endangered.
The species is classified as not at risk (least concern) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN ) due to the population size and the large area of distribution.