Desert hare
Lepus Tibetanus is a mammal in the genus of the Real hares (Lepus ) among lagomorphs ( Lagomorpha ). He lives in the high mountains of Central Asia and is spread across parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Mongolia and the People's Republic of China.
Features
Lepus Tibetanus is a rabbit with a head -body length of 40-48 cm, a tail length from 5.0 to 7.5 centimeters and a weight of 1625-2500 grams. The hind feet have a length of 109-135 mm, the ears measure 81-110 millimeters. The body is slender with a relatively small head. The back coat color is dark yellow or sand with a black undertone. In winter, the coat on his back is thicker and has a darker gray - sand-colored coloring. The hip is gray and the outer sides of the front and hind legs and the side of the abdomen are yellowish to white. On the upper side of the tail is brown - black stripes find. The ears are wide at the base and showing tufted hair, the ears tip is black brown. The eyes are bright border.
The skull has a relatively long premaxillary bones ( premaxilla ) and short nasal bones. The processus supra-orbital, an extension of the frontal bone above the eye is well trained and curved upwards. The tympanic bladder is enlarged and the zygomatic arch wide.
Dissemination
Lepus Tibetanus lives in Central Asia. The circulation area covers parts of Afghanistan, the northern Pakistan and southern Mongolia and extends from there into the provinces of Gansu, Nei Mongol and Xinjiang of the People's Republic of China. He lives allopatric in many parts of its range with the Tolai hare ( L. Tolai ) and only for the Tian Shan Mountains, a sympatric distribution is assumed.
The species lives mainly in desert and semi- desert areas and the grassland at altitudes of 3500-4000 meters.
Way of life
The habitat of Lepus Tibetanus lies mainly in semi-desert and steppe areas with low vegetation of grassland or strauchigem growth. In this case, however, the nature avoids mountain meadows, although it occurs at altitudes of over 3,500 meters.
It is primarily crepuscular, but may also be observed during the day. It feeds generalist of herbaceous plants, grasses, seeds, berries, roots and branches, and does not dig its own buildings. The animals bring one to three times a year pups, the size of litters ranging from three to ten pups.
System
Lepus Tibetanus today define as an independent species the genuine rabbit ( genus Lepus ). Already by 1930 he was regarded as a separate species, and after a long together with the Tolai hare ( Lepus Tolai ) as a subspecies of the brown hare (Lepus europaeus) and later the Kaphasen (Lepus capensis ) out.
Within the species in addition to the nominate Lepus Tibetanus Tibetanus four other subspecies are distinguished: Lepus Tibetanus centrasiaticus, L. t. craspedotis, L. t. pamirensis, L. t. stoliczkanus.
Threats and conservation
The species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ( IUCN) due to the large distribution area and the high inventory levels as not at risk ( " least concern "). Larger threats to Artbestand are not known, but are also no data on the holdings.