Lepus saxatilis
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Interesting facts about Scrub Hares
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The Scrub Hare has a wide distribution in South Africa. It is the most likely species of 'rabbit' that you will see.
The Scrub Hare can be found in a wide variety of habitats including grasslands, savanna and bushveld.
This animal is nocturnal and is not often encountered during the day, although it will sometimes venture out just before dusk or just after dawn. It can often be seen on roads at night with the unfortunate result that many are run over by cars.
At night it emerges to feed. Its diet is pretty much restricted to grass.
Scrub Hares are preyed on by many predators including humans, jackals, caracals and larger birds of prey. With a weight of around 3 kg they provide a nice little snack for a hungry predator.
Females give birth to 1 to 3 young in a litter and she may have up to 4 litters in a year. This normally happens during the summer but may occur all year round.
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