Mammals
Springhare
Pedetes capensis · also called springhare, springhaas
The springhare is a rodent that decided to be a kangaroo. Rabbit-sized, with huge hind legs and a long balancing tail, it bounds across the African savanna at night in leaps of over two metres. And under ultraviolet light, discovered only in 2021, its fur glows in patchy pink and orange.
Overview
Springhares live in sandy grassland and savanna of southern Africa, sheltering in burrows by day. About 35–45 cm plus a long bushy tail, with short front legs and very long hind legs, they hop bipedally and feed at night on grasses, roots, and bulbs.
A rodent that hops
It travels by bipedal hopping on enlarged hind legs, tail out for balance, clearing over 2 metres in a bound — convergent evolution with kangaroos, not a relationship.
The glow no one expected
A 2021 study found springhare fur fluoresces pink and orange under UV light, a biofluorescence still not fully explained in a burrowing, nocturnal animal.
Status
The springhare is Least Concern, widespread and locally common, though hunted for meat across much of its range.
Springhare: common questions
Is the springhare a hare or a kangaroo?
Neither, though it resembles both. The springhare is a rodent, and despite its rabbit-like size and ears and its kangaroo-like hopping gait it is not closely related to hares, rabbits, or kangaroos. Its two living species make up their own small rodent family, Pedetidae, with no close relatives, and their strong bipedal hopping locomotion is a case of convergent evolution, an independent solution to fast, efficient travel across open ground that kangaroos, some jerboas, and other unrelated animals have also arrived at. The common name simply reflects its size, ears, and jumping ability rather than any actual relationship.
Why does the springhare glow under ultraviolet light?
A 2021 study examining museum specimens and captive animals discovered that springhare fur fluoresces under ultraviolet light in an unusually vivid, blotchy pattern of pinks, oranges, and reds, a phenomenon called biofluorescence in which the fur absorbs ultraviolet light and re-emits it as visible light. Biofluorescence has since been found in a growing number of mammals, but its purpose, if any, remains uncertain. In a nocturnal, burrowing animal like the springhare it is not obvious that the glow serves a function at all, and some researchers think it may simply be an incidental chemical property of the fur, though possible roles in communication or camouflage under moonlight and starlight have been proposed.
How does the springhare protect itself from predators?
Its main defences are its burrow and its speed. During the day it shelters underground in an extensive tunnel system and frequently seals the entrance from the inside with a plug of loose soil, making it hard for a predator to detect or dig out. When foraging above ground at night, it stays close to burrow entrances and, if disturbed, escapes in a series of rapid, erratic, high leaps that can exceed 2 metres and are difficult for a pursuing predator to follow. It also has large eyes and ears well suited to detecting danger in the dark.
What does the springhare eat and how does it feed?
The springhare is a herbivore that feeds mainly at night on grasses, along with roots, bulbs, tubers, and seeds that it digs out of the soil with its short but strong front legs and claws. It often adopts a crouched, tripod-like posture, resting back on its hind legs and tail while manipulating food with its front paws, in a manner reminiscent of how a kangaroo or a squirrel handles food. Because it gets much of its water from its food and can concentrate its urine, it is able to live in fairly dry country far from open water.