Tolai hare
Young Tolai hare ( Lepus Tolai )
The Tolai hare ( Lepus Tolai ) is a mammal in the genus of the Real hares (Lepus ) among lagomorphs ( Lagomorpha ). Its circulation area covers much of Asia from the Caspian Sea far into the People's Republic of China into it.
Features
The Tolai hare is a rabbit with a body length of 40-59 inches and the weight is 1650 to 2650 grams. The hind feet have a length of 110-127 mm, the ears measure 83-120 mm and tail 72-110 mm. The color varies throughout the range and also within parts of the same very clearly. The colors of the back fur vary from sandy yellow to light brown, dark yellow, gray and dark - brown and may have reddish-brown stripes. The hips can also be ocher or gray. The tail corresponds to the body color and has a broad dark to black- brown stripes on the top. The belly and parts of the sides are white. The eyes have a gray-white border which can be ocher in the southern part of China; this goes back to the base of the ears and forward to the snout. The tips of the ears are black.
The skull is long and has relatively wide nasal bones, the rostrum, however, is short and broad. The processus supra-orbital, an extension of the frontal bone above the eye is well trained, almost triangular in shape and mostly flat. The tympanic bladder is large and round.
Dissemination
The Tolai hare is spread over the dry areas of Asia and ranges in East Asia quite far to the south. Its distribution extends from the Caspian Sea to the south to the north and Iran to the east Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, southern Siberia and Mongolia until well into the People's Republic of China.
The species occurs in Mongolia altitudes up to 8,000 meters, in the Chinese part of the distribution area, he finds himself but is usually between 600 and 900 meters.
Way of life
The habitat of the Tolai hare is very diverse. In Mongolia, it is found mainly in semi-desert, mountain and forest steppes and in mountainous and rocky habitats. In China he settled mostly grassland and forest meadows, but hardly the interior forest areas. He preferred habitats with hiding places such as tall grass and bushes.
The Tolai hare is nocturnal and feeds mainly on grasses, roots and herbs. He digs except for the throws no buildings but only shallow wells ( Sassen ) using the front legs. The Sassen are significantly lower in warm weather conditions flatter and larger in the cold and wind. The animals rest motionless in these wells and flee only when threatened.
The species planted within a about seven -month-long reproductive period two to three times a year on, each litter of two to six pups is.
System
The Tolai hare is a distinct species the genuine rabbit ( genus Lepus ) and assigned. Until recently he was a subspecies of the brown hare (Lepus europaeus) or Kaphasen (Lepus capensis ) is considered. The hare Lepus Tibetanus, which is now also regarded as a separate species, was originally listed as subspecies, as is now considered subspecies of the Tibetan wool hare ( Lepus oiostolus ) considered L. o przewalskii.
Within the species, in addition to the nominate L. t. Tolai seven other subspecies are distinguished: Lepus Tolai aurigineus, L. t. buchariensis, L. t. cheybani, L. t. cinnamomeus, L. t. filcheri, L. t. lehmanni and L. t. swinhoei. The assignment of submissions varies in part, Smith & Yan Xie list of 2009 alone six subspecies in China and rename it next Lepus Tolai aurigineus, L. t. cinnamomeus, L. t. lehmanni, L. t. swinhoei and L. t. Tolai are not known at Wilson & Reeder 2005 subspecies L. t. hunagshuiensis. L. t. swinhoei was also considered as a separate species on the basis of molecular analyzes.
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.