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Hispid Hare

Pangolins, Hares, Pikas & Shrews

Photo: Bed Bahadur Khadka · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)

Caprolagus hispidus

Basic stats

Diet

Grasses and leaves; at least 23 plant species

Habitat

Tall grassland; fragmented

Range

Southern Himalayan foothills of India, Nepal and Bangladesh

Litter size

2–3 young; about 3 litters a year

Gestation period

40 days

Size

Ears 54–61mm; tail 25–38mm

Weight

Males about 1.8–2.6kg; females about 2.5kg

The hispid hare, also called the Assam rabbit or bristly rabbit, is the only species in its genus. It has a harsh, bristly coat, dark brown on the back from a mixture of black and brown hairs, brown on the chest and whitish on the abdomen, with a brown tail 25–38 mm long, small ears compared with the Indian hare and a large nose. Males weigh about 1.8–2.6 kg and females about 2.5 kg (Wikipedia, general species account).

Once thought extinct, it was rediscovered in Assam in 1971 and survives in isolated populations across India, Nepal and Bangladesh, and is known in several national parks. It is crepuscular and herbivorous, eating grasses and leaves, at least 23 plant species, and when it feeds on thatching grasses it strips the outer sheath from the base. Gestation is 40 days, with about three litters a year of two or three young. Birds of prey, cats, civets, jackals, weasels and foxes prey on it (Wikipedia, general species account).

Quick answers

What does the Hispid Hare eat?
Grasses and leaves; at least 23 plant species
What habitat does the Hispid Hare live in?
Tall grassland; fragmented
Where is the Hispid Hare found?
Southern Himalayan foothills of India, Nepal and Bangladesh
What is the litter size of the Hispid Hare?
2–3 young; about 3 litters a year
How long is the gestation period of the Hispid Hare?
40 days
How big is the Hispid Hare?
Ears 54–61mm; tail 25–38mm
How much does the Hispid Hare weigh?
Males about 1.8–2.6kg; females about 2.5kg
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