Natal red rock hare
The Natal- wool tail rabbit ( Pronolagus crassicaudatus ) is a type of African Rotkaninchen among lagomorphs. Its distribution is restricted to the southern African region.
Features
The three types of Rotkaninchen differ only slightly from each other and the system is not yet fully understood. Characteristic compared to other rabbits in Africa are the tan to brown color, which also includes the tail, as well as the comparatively short ears of the animals. However, be - Natal The wool tail rabbit is the largest species of Rotkaninchen distinguished the three species, only due to small variations of coat color and the skull dimensions.
The body length of the rabbit is like that of the related species, depending on the source of 35 to 50 or 38 to 56 centimeters, the tail is 5 to 10 and from 3.5 to 13.5 inches long. The ears have a length of 6 to 10 inches and the hind feet of 7.5 to 10 centimeters. Body weight is 2 to 2.5 or from 1.35 to 3.05 kilogram.
Dissemination
The distribution area of the Natal- wool tail rabbit is restricted to the south of Africa and extends over the provinces in South Africa Eastern Cape, KwaZulu -Natal and Mpumalanga, the largest part of Swaziland and the eastern Lesotho and the extreme south of Mozambique in Maputo province.
Way of life
The altitudinal distribution ranges from sea level to altitudes of 1,550 meters. The species prefers rocky hilly and mountainous areas with a grass and shrub vegetation.
The Natal- wool tail rabbit feeds mostly on young, sprouting grasses. Like all Rotkaninchen it is mainly active at night and rest during the day in caves.
System
The Natal- wool rabbit tail is assigned as an independent species the Rotkaninchen ( genus Pronolagus ). It was first described scientifically as Lepus crassicaudatus by Isidore Geoffroy Saint- Hilaire in 1832.
Threats and conservation
The Natal- wool tail hare ( IUCN) classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources as not at risk ( least concern ).
Although the population is declining throughout their range, there is a widespread and common species estimates live in the area about 10,000 animals, a decrease of about 20 % is predicted for the next 20 years. The main reasons for the decline in the spread of human settlements and agricultural land and thereby the resulting increased hunting pressure on the rabbit is considered. Since 1900, about 20 to 50 % of the habitat was lost, up to a further 50 % could be lost by 2022 as a habitat for the species.