Red rock hare
The Rotkaninchen, also called wool tail rabbits ( Pronolagus ) are a living in Africa genus of the family of hares ( Leporidae )
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 differences in coat color and the skull dimensions.
The fur of the Rotkaninchen is colored dense, woolly and reddish, the bushy tail is reddish brown. Their ears are relatively short, and the legs are much shorter than for example in the genuine rabbit. These animals reach a head -body length 38-56 centimeters and a weight of 1.3 to 3 kilograms.
Way of life
The habitat of Rotkaninchen are rugged, rocky regions, but also bushy areas and grasslands near forests. They are nocturnal animals, during the day they retreat into rock crevices, hollow logs or in dense vegetation. Sometimes they use higher-lying rocks as vantage points to observe possible predators can. In flight they give shrill noises, either to confuse the attacker or to warn conspecifics. Usually these animals live solitary, the Natal- wool rabbit tail is sometimes reported by small groups. However, they sometimes socialize with hyrax. The food of animals consists primarily of grasses and twigs.
The gestation period of the animals is about one month, litter size from one to two. For the young, the female creates a nest of grasses and fur. The boys are naked and blind to the world and are altricial.
System
Pikas ( Ochotonidae / Ochotona )
Busch rabbits ( Poelagus marjorita )
Rotkaninchen ( Pronolagus )
Stripe rabbit ( Nesolagus )
Volcano rabbit ( Romerolagus diazi )
Wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Bristle rabbits ( Caprolagus hispidus )
Bushman Hare ( Bunolagus monticularis )
Ryukyu Rabbit ( Pentalagus furnessi )
Cottontail rabbits ( Sylvilagus )
Dwarf rabbits ( Brachylagus )
True hares (Lepus )
The Rotkaninchen be assigned as a separate genus the rabbit ( Leporidae ). The scientific description was in 1904 by Marcus Ward Lyon.
The Rotkaninchen include three types:
- Natal- wool rabbit tail ( P. crassicaudatus ) in south-eastern South Africa and neighboring countries (Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique)
- Edge - wool rabbit tail ( P. randensis ) in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and northern South Africa
- Rotkaninchen ( P. rupestris ) in Eastern and Southern Africa ( from Kenya to South Africa)
After the individual authors and also in the IUCN Pronolagus saundersiae is considered as a separate species, this is done by Wilson & Reeder 2005 as a subspecies of Pronolagus rupestris.
On the basis of molecular biological data has been of Conrad A. Matthee et al. 2004, a cladogram developed that represents the phylogenetic relationships of the genera within the bunnies to each other. Accordingly, the Rotkaninchen a taxon consisting of the African bush rabbits ( Poelagus marjorita ) and the rabbit strip ( Nesolagus ) in Southeast Asia faced as a sister group. Together, this group is the sister group to all other genera of hares.