"S" is for Springhare
In the “Wild Alphabet” book, on the aardwolf page, we mentioned that they spend the day in springhare burrows. The springbok won the “s” position, so here we will tell you a little bit about springhares.
The springhare is a small, furry animal that looks a bit like a rabbit but is actually more like a kangaroo. It lives in parts of southern and eastern Africa, especially in dry areas such as deserts, semi-deserts and grasslands. Springhares are most active at night, hopping around on their strong hind legs to search for food. They use their long tails to help balance as they leap great distances, making them excellent jumpers! They like to eat grass, leaves, and sometimes dig for roots.
During the day, springhares hide in burrows underground to stay safe from predators such as eagles and jackals. They dig these burrows with their sharp claws and can make them up to 2 metres deep! Even though they are called “hares,” they are actually rodents, more closely related to squirrels than rabbits. Springhares are shy and quiet, but they play an important role in their ecosystem by helping to spread seeds and providing food for larger animals.
An unusual feature of springhares is that their fur has patches of fur is biofluorescent. Biofluorescence happens when ultra-violet or blue light are absorbed and subsequently reemitted as a glow with brilliant colors including blues, greens, and reds. It seems to be concentrated in areas that play a role in how they interact with one another. This makes sense for animals active at night, but this biofluorescence has not been studdy and little is known about it.
There are two species of springhare, the South African springhare and the East African springhare. Until recently they were thought to be the same species.