Download Brochure on Hispid Hare

Threats
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Photographs: Abhijit Das, Bhaskar Choudhury, Bibhuti P Lahkar, Bikram Choudhury and Naba K Nath.
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Approximate former distribution
International border
State border
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Aaranyak is a Scientific & Industrial Research Organization, recognized by the Ministry of
Science and Technology, Govt. of India based at Guwahati. Aaranyak has been working in the
field of biodiversity conservation in Northeast India since 1989 and fostering scientific
research along with culmination of combined gems of culture, indigenous knowledge and
socio-ethical science to promote conservation.
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CRITICAL ECOSYSTEM
Forest Department, Assam
PARTNERSHIP FUND
Design: FineEdge
Remember,
we all can play a role in saving this species from extiction.
Join us to save Hispid Hare.
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MEGHALAYA
Do not allow cattle to graze inside protected areas. Grazing reduces ground cover,
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changes the texture of the soil, facilitates invasion of weeds and thus degrades the
habitat of Hispid Hare.
Do not collect thatch grass from protected areas because this reduces ground cover and
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alters the habitat of Hispid Hare.
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Stop hunting Hispid Hares because they are highly endangered.
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Know about Hispid Hare (see the pictures how to identify it).
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practice carefully controlled rotational patch burning of grasslands. It helps to retain
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sufficient amount of suitable habitat which provides cover and food for Hispid Hare
throughout the year. Moreover, Hispid Hare breeds during the winter which coincides
with the annual burning of grasslands during the dry season. Uncontrolled,
devastating fire has detrimental effect on breeding and is a great threat to newborns
too.
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How to help conserve Hispid Hare and its habitat?
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Hispid Hare is threatened by habitat destruction for agriculture, forestry, human
settlement, flood control and irrigation schemes together with the adverse effects of
burning of grasslands during the dry season, habitat degradation due to invasion of
weeds, overgrazing by cattle, excessive harvesting of thatch grass by the local
communities and hunting for meat.
A little CARE for a RARE
HARE ...
NNorth-east India within the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot is an important
habitat of some of the highly threatened animal species of outstanding ecological
importance. Though, the region's landscape harbours diverse range of animals, many of
them unfortunately have become extremely rare of late due to habitat loss induced by a
range of human activities like encroachment, urbanization, uncontrolled fire, unregulated
cattle grazing and unsustainable resource use, while hunting and trapping of these
species' have remained a cause for concern. Majority of the region's faunal resources have
remained scientifically unexplored and the role of many small mammals in the ecosystem
is yet to be ascertained. One of the most significant, rare and threatened species of this
tropical landscape is the Hispid Hare (In Assamese: Khagorikota Xoha) - an elusive, poorly
known Lagomorph that exclusively dwells in the grasslands dominated by the tall thatch
grasses.
Lagomorphs (Rabbits, Hares and Pikas) are relatively small mammals and do not excite
the curiosity and appeal of some of their larger kind. But, they are of critical importance in
world ecosystems. They form an important prey base to many carnivorous birds and
mammals.
Hispid Hare now occurs only within a few remaining pockets of protected areas in India
and Nepal in some fragmented populations.
Difference between Rabbit & Hare
Rabbit
Hare
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Rabbits rely on burrows (warrens) or thick brush cover
Hares are adapted to quick movement and flight from
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to avoid predators.
danger.
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Young rabbits are born naked and with their eyes
tightly closed.
Young hares are born fully furred and with their eyes
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open.
Rabbits built nests or elaborate warren to raise their
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Hares do not make proper nests. It is little more than a
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young.
Newborn rabbits require parental care for up to three
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weeks.
shallow depression.
Newborn hares do not require much parental care.
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Pikas are very small in comparison to hares and rabbits. They look like rodents due to their rounded ears and shorter legs.
Their eyes are small and they have shorter nasal region.
Difference between Hispid Hare & Common Indian hare
Classification
Hispid Hare (Caprolagus hispidus) belongs to the class Mammalia, order Lagomorpha and
family Leporidae. Despite its name, the Hispid Hare is in fact a true rabbit.
Distribution
Historically, Hispid Hares were recorded in the tracts along the southern Himalayan
foothills from Uttar Pradesh through Nepal and West Bengal to Assam, extending
southwards as far as Dhaka in Bangladesh. Fossil evidence however, suggests a more
extensive Pleistocene distribution which included central Java.
Present known distribution in India: Dudhwa National Park (Uttar Pradesh), Kanha Tiger
Reserve (Madhya Pradesh), Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary (West Bengal), Manas Tiger
Reserve (Assam), Nameri National Park (Assam) and D'Ering Memorial Wildlife
Sanctuary (Arunachal Pradesh).
Habitat & Biology
Hispid Hare inhabits the early successional riverine communities, typically comprising
dense tall grasslands, commonly referred to as elephant grass or thatch land.
The mean body weight of the animal is 2,248 gram (male) and 2,518 gram (female). The
coarse, bristly coat is dark brown on the dorsal surface, due to a mixture of black and
brown hairs, ventrally brown on the chest and whitish on the abdomen. The tail is short
(approx. 30mm) and brown. The ears are also short (approx. 56mm) and rounded.
The home range of Hispid Hare is restricted to a mean area of 8200 square meter for males
and 2800 square meter for females within the dense cover provided by unburned tall
grassland. Overlapping home ranges suggest that these animals live in pairs. Hispid Hare
is monogamous and breeds during winter.
Conservation status
Hispid Hare
Common Indian hare
Hispid Hare is dark brown in colour,
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has a rufous chest and white belly.
Common Indian hare is reddish brown in colour.
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Hispid Hare has short and rounded ears.
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Hispid Hare lives in tall grasslands.
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Common Indian hare lives in open scrub,
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short grassy patches and overgrazed forest lands.
Hispid Hare's pellets are bigger and rounded.
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Common Indian hare's pellets are smaller and tapering.
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Common Indian hare has long and pointed ears.
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According to IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources) the Hispid Hare is endangered. This means Hispid Hare runs very high risk of
extinction in the wild. It has been listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection)
Act, 1972 which prohibits hunting and ensures its protection in India. It is also one of the
only two Lagomorph species which is listed by CITES (the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna), the United States Endangered
Species Act and the IUCN Red List.