First off, what the heck does “hispid” mean?
Bristly. “Bristly
rabbit” is, in fact, another
moniker of
Caprolagus hispidus, the hispid
hare, which is classified as
Endangered on the
IUCN’s
endangered species list. Found from
Nepal to northeastern
India, there are only about 110 individuals left. Loss of
habitat to
cultivation,
settlement of its
territory by humans, hunting, and
predation has all played a role in its decline.
An interesting note is that the so-called hispid hare is actually a rabbit, defined by such differences between the two as methods of avoiding predation (rabbits hide, hares run), and the characteristics of the young at birth (rabbits are born naked with closed eyes, hares are born eyes-open and can move around in a somewhat coordinated fashion). The hispid hare does not build burrows of its own; instead, it takes refuge in surface vegetation or the abandoned burrows of other animals.
So I’m guessing by the name that it looks like a scrub brush?
Covered in coarse, dark brown hair, the hispid hare has short ears and hind legs that are not much larger than its front legs, weighs about five and a half pounds (2.5 kg), and measures between fifteen and twenty inches (38-50cm). It is described as “slow-moving” by locals.
Great, a five pound brush with legs. What are the feeding directions on the package?
The hispid hare’s diet consists mainly of bark, shoots, and the roots of grasses. It will occasionally feed on crops, which does nothing to improve its relationship with humans in the area.
So when can we expect little toothbrushes?
Not a lot of information is available on the hispid hare’s reproductive habits, but young are usually caught between the months of January and March, in litter sizes of between two and five. A female hispid hare probably breeds about twice a year.
Sources:
http://www.animalinfo.org/species/caprhisp.htm
http://www.animals-online.be/hares_and_rabbits/hazen_en_konijnen/hispid_hare.html