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South African springhare
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== Ecology and behaviour == Springhares are nocturnal animals, who forage during the night and retreat to a burrow during the day. While sleeping in their burrows, springhares sleep standing, with their head and forelimbs bent down in between their hindlegs, and their tail wrapped around their feet.<ref name="Butynski-1973" /> These animals are predated upon by a variety of predators, including humans; at least 21 species prey on springhares in the [[Kalahari Desert|Kalahari]].<ref name="Butynski-1979a">{{Cite journal|last=Butynski|first=Thomas M.|date=1979|title=Reproductive ecology of the Springhaas Pedetes capensis in Botswana|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1979.tb03960.x|journal=Journal of Zoology|language=en|volume=189|issue=2|pages=221β232|doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1979.tb03960.x|issn=1469-7998|url-access=subscription}}</ref> === Burrowing === Springhares are burrowing animals. They dig their own burrows on well-drained sandy soils, preferentially during the wet season.<ref name="Butynski-1979b">{{Cite journal|last1=Butynski|first1=Thomas M.|last2=Mattingly|first2=Rosanna|date=1979|title=Burrow structure and fossorial ecology of the springhare Pedetes capensis in Botswana|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2028.1979.tb00257.x|journal=African Journal of Ecology|language=en|volume=17|issue=4|pages=205β215|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2028.1979.tb00257.x|issn=1365-2028|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="Peinke-2005" /> {{Blockquote|text=The front claws loosen soil from the burrow wall while the teeth cut through roots. The front feet toss the soil beneath the body and the hind feet kick it further back. When the pile of loosened soil is large enough, the springhare turns around, and with its chin, chest and front feet held up against the pile, it pushes the soil to the entrance with thrusts of the hind feet.|author=Butynski & Mattingly|title=Burrow structure and fossorial ecology of the springhare ''Pedetes capensis'' in Botswana|source=''African Journal of Ecology'' (1979)}} Burrows are often located near trees or shrubs, which are sparse in the typical springhare habitat. It is thought they may help with concealment as well as providing a point of reference back to the burrow.<ref name="Butynski-1979b" /> A springhare's burrow is 20 cm in diameter, may be up to 1 meter deep and up to 7 meters long. Burrows may cover an area of up to 170 m<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="Relton-2019" /> They usually have several entrances. Two types of entrances can be distinguished, one which is very visible thanks to the pile of sand present at the opening, and the other one which is a "hidden" entrance with no soil to mark its presence.<ref name="Butynski-1973" /> Springhares remain close to one of their burrow entrances while feeding and if disturbed, they return to their own burrows, ignoring other burrows in the way.<ref name="Peinke-2005" /><ref name="Butynski-1979b" /> Radio-tracked springhares used burrows in areas covering 0.6 to 28.5 ha.<ref name="Peinke-2005" /> Springhares tend to only reside in any given burrow for a few consecutive days at most.<ref name="Relton-2019" /> In a study of their burrowing activities in South Africa, they found that springhares used 4 to 27 different burrows, and most burrows (70%) were only ever used by a single springhare. Very few burrows were used by more than two animals. In the same study, they found cohabitation (two springhares using the same burrow at the same time) to be very rare.<ref name="Peinke-2005" /> The same burrows may be used throughout generations and expanded, with new tunnels added as needed.<ref name="Butynski-1979b" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Peinke|first1=D.M.|last2=Brown|first2=C.R.|date=April 2005|title=Burrow utilization by springhares (Pedetes capensis) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2005.11407307|journal=African Zoology|volume=40|issue=1|pages=37β44|doi=10.1080/15627020.2005.11407307|s2cid=54731984|issn=1562-7020|url-access=subscription}}</ref> While springhares have not been seen defending their burrows or territory, they mark the burrows with their perineal glands secretions, or by urinating at the burrow entrance, probably to warn other springhares that a specific burrow is occupied.<ref name="Relton-2019" /> Springhares are able to plug entrances to their burrows with soil. Two plug types were distinguished. Temporary plugs formed from the inside of the burrow, probably aimed at avoiding predators entering a burrow. Permanent plugs were long (0.5 β 3 m) and sometimes filled entire tunnel branches.<ref name="Butynski-1979b" /> The springhare's unoccupied burrows are sometimes used for hiding during the daytime by a number of other species, including the [[black-footed cat]] and the [[ground pangolin]].<ref name="Relton-2019">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ewt.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/51.-Springhare-Pedetes-capensis_LC.pdf|title=Pedetes capensis β Springhare|last1=Relton|first1=Claire|authorlink=|last2=Child|first2=Matthew|date=Feb 2019|website=Mammal Red List 2016|publisher=[[Endangered Wildlife Trust]] and [[South African National Biodiversity Institute]]|others=Assessed by Dean Peinke; Assessed by Beryl Wilson; Reviewed by Corne Anderson|access-date=25 Apr 2020|last3=Avenant|first3=Nico|last4=Avery|first4=Margaret|last5=Baxter|first5=Rod|last6=Monadjem|first6=Ara|last7=Palmer|first7=Guy|last8=Taylor|first8=Peter|archive-date=30 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630124426/https://www.ewt.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/51.-Springhare-Pedetes-capensis_LC.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> === Feeding and foraging === Springhares are herbivorous, eating a variety of plant matter, such as roots, stems, leaves, and seeds.<ref name="Butynski-1973" /> However, springhares are picky eaters and often leave abundant plant materials behind in their feeding grounds.<ref name="Peinke-2005" /><ref name="Michael-2000">{{Cite thesis|last=Peinke|first=Dean Michael|url=https://commons.ru.ac.za/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:5670?site_name=Rhodes+University |degree=PhD |title=The ecology and physiology of the springhare (Pedetes capensis) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa|date=2000|publisher=Rhodes University, Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology |oclc=733096872|hdl=10962/d1005355}}</ref> On occasion, springhares may feed on insects such as beetles or locusts, or even carrion.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Peinke|first1=D. M.|last2=Brown|first2=C. R.|date=2006-10-01|title=Habitat use by the southern springhare (Pedetes capensis) in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa : research article|url=https://journals.co.za/doi/10.10520/EJC117252|journal=South African Journal of Wildlife Research |volume=36|issue=2|pages=103β111|hdl=10520/EJC117252}}</ref> Springhares feed at night and can range 150 β 400 m away of one of their burrows.<ref name="Kingdon-2015" /><ref name="Butynski-1979a" /> They may feed in large groups of up to nine individuals.<ref name="Kingdon-2015" /> In these instances, they do not display aggression or territorial behaviours.<ref name="Peinke-2005" /><ref name="Butynski-1979b" /> === Reproduction === Springhares breed throughout the year and have a gestation period of about 77 days. The females give birth to a single young about three times a year.<ref name="Kingdon-2015" /> Moreover, females can be lactating and in the early stages of pregnancy at the same time.<ref name="Michael-2000" /> Their ability to reproduce year-round is thought to be attributable to their highly selective diet (choosing only the best parts of the plant), their wide range of foods available to them (above and underground), and their behavioural and physical adaptations to living in arid and semi-arid conditions.<ref name="Michael-2000" /> Springhares give birth in a burrow to a furred young of about 250 - 300 g. Springhares usually give birth to a single young, but birthing twins is known to occur. While the young remains at the burrow, the mother stops the usual behaviour of moving burrows every couple of days. She is bound to the burrow where her young is, who depends entirely on her milk.<ref name="Butynski-1979a" /> The young stays in the burrow for approximately seven weeks until they attain a body weight of approximately 1.3 kg.<ref name="Butynski-1973" /><ref name="Butynski-1979b" /> The extended period of parental care may help mitigate a birthrate that is, among rodents, remarkably low.<ref name="EoM">{{cite book|author=Butynski, Thomas M.|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma00mals_0/page/634|title=The Encyclopedia of Mammals|publisher=Facts on File|year=1984|isbn=0-87196-871-1|editor=Macdonald, D.|location=New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma00mals_0/page/634 634β635]|url-access=registration}}</ref>
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