Editing South African springhare (section)

{{Short description|Species of rodent}}
{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc|display-authors=6}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{speciesbox
| name = South African springhare
| fossil_range =[[Calabrian (stage)|Calabrian]] to present<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fossilworks: Yerbua capensis|url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=234843|access-date=17 December 2021|website=fossilworks.org}}</ref> 
{{Fossil range|1.8|0}}
| image = Spring Hare (Pedetes capensis) (6042009463).jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{Cite iucn | title=''Pedetes capensis'' |errata=2017 |author=Child, M.F. |date=2016 |page=e.T16467A115133584}}</ref>
| genus = Pedetes
| species = capensis
| authority = ([[Johann Reinhold Forster|Forster]], 1778)
| synonyms = 
*''Yerbua capensis'' <ref name="iucn" />
*''Pedetes albaniensis''
*''Pedetes angolae''
*''Pedetes cafer''
*''Pedetes damarensis''
*''Pedetes fouriei''
*''Pedetes orangiae''
*''Pedetes salinae''
*''Pedetes typicus'' <ref name = MSW3>{{MSW3 Pedetidae | id = 13200003 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Kingdon, Jonathan.|title=Mammals of Africa.|date=2013|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|others=Happold, D. |isbn=978-1-4081-8996-2|location=London|oclc=854973585}}</ref>
| range_map = South African springhare Pedetes capensis distribution map.png
| range_map_caption = South African springhare range.<ref name=iucn/>
}}

The '''South African springhare''' ('''''Pedetes capensis''''') ({{langx|af|springhaas}}) is a medium-sized terrestrial and burrowing [[rodent]]. Despite the name, it is not a [[hare]]. It is one of two extant species in the genus ''[[Pedetes]]'',<ref name="MSW3">{{MSW3 Pedetidae | id = 13200003 }}</ref> and is native to southern Africa. Formerly, the genus was considered [[monotypic]] and the [[East African springhare]] (''P. surdaster'') was included in ''P. capensis''.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Matthee |first1=C. A. |last2=Robinson |first2=T. J. |date=1997 |title=Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography and comparative cytogenetics of the springhare, ''Pedetes capensis'' (Mammalia: Rodentia) |journal=Journal of Mammalian Evolution |volume=4 |pages=53–73 |doi=10.1023/A:1027331727034}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a025698 |last1=Matthee |first1=C. A. |last2=Robinson |first2=T. J. |date=1997 |title=Molecular phylogeny of the springhare, ''Pedetes capensis'', based on mitochondrial DNA sequences |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=20–29 |pmid=9000750}}</ref>

Springhares live throughout semi-arid areas in southern Africa, preferentially in sandy plains and pans with short grasses.<ref name="Kingdon-2015">{{Cite book|last=Kingdon|first=Jonathan|title=The Kingdon field guide to African mammals|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing Plc|year=2015|isbn=978-1-4729-1236-7|pages=255–256}}</ref> In agricultural areas, springhares can be considered a pest due to their destructive feeding on crops.<ref name="Butynski-1973">{{Cite journal|last=Butynski|first=T. M.|date=1973|title=Life history and economic value of the springhare (Pedetes capensis forster) in Botswana|journal=Botswana Notes and Records |jstor=40979393 |pages=209-213}}</ref><ref name="Peinke-2005">{{Cite journal|last1=Peinke|first1=D.M.|last2=Brown|first2=C.R.|date=2005-04-01|title=Burrow utilization by springhares (Pedetes capensis) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2005.11407307|journal=African Zoology|volume=40|issue=1|pages=37–44|doi=10.1080/15627020.2005.11407307|s2cid=54731984|issn=1562-7020|url-access=subscription}}</ref> However, they are not currently considered under an impending risk of extinction.<ref name="Relton-2019" />