Hainan hare
The Hainan Hare (Lepus hainanus ) is a mammal in the genus of the Real hares among lagomorphs. It is endemic to the island belonging to China Hainan.
Features
The Hainan Hare is a small rabbit dwelling with a maximum body length of 40 cm and a body weight of 1.3 to 1.75 kg. Compared with the Chinese hare ( L. sinensis) he has a smaller and more rounded head and is brightly colored. His back is sandy brown with black and the sides of the body are maroon. The tail is black on the upper side and lower side white, the feet light brown with white spots and a white underside.
Dissemination
The Hainan Hare is an endemic species of the People's Republic of China belonging to Hainan Island.
It occurs mainly in the dry grassland in north - and south-west of the island, while the east of the island is less suitable. Optimal is flat, dry farm land with shrubs or plantations, while they do not occur in agriculturally managed areas and in the mountains. The species probably originally inhabited the entire plains of the island, with the exception of the Northeast to heights of around 300 meters, in 1995, but was detected only in the area of individual elk farms in the central western coast.
Way of life
The Hainan Hare is a nocturnal, with the main activity after sunset and early morning. Occasionally, these rabbits also eat a day. Like all rabbits, they feed mainly on grasses and herbs. You have no buildings and resting in the grass.
Data and observations on reproduction are scarce.
System
The Hainan Hare is assigned as an independent species the genuine rabbit ( genus Lepus ). He was originally considered as a subspecies of the Burmese hares (L. peguensis ) ).
Threats and conservation
The Hainan Hare was hunted extensively in the past due to its fur and flesh. The overhunting, together with the spread of agricultural land led to a sharp decline in the animals until the 1990s, where he was partially only very rarely detected and was locally extinct.
The species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN ) due to the size of the stock as endangered ( "vulnerable "). The current population is estimated to be 250 to 500 animals and it is believed that only about 2 km2 optimal habitat available.