Riverine Rabbit
Encyclopedia
The Riverine Rabbit also known as the Bushman Rabbit or Bushman Hare, is one of the rarest and most endangered mammal
s in the world, with probably no more than 200 individuals left. This rabbit
has an extremely limited distribution area, found only in the central and southern regions of the Karoo Desert
of South Africa
's Cape Province
. It is the only member
of the genus Bunolagus.
, Sutherland
and Victoria West
all have small populations.
bush and ink bush at night, and rest up in forms during the day. A form is a shallow scrape made in the soil under a bush. Two types of droppings are produced. At night, when the rabbit is active, hard pellets are deposited. During the day droppings are soft, taken directly from the anus, and swallowed. In this way the riverine rabbit obtains vitamin B, produced by bacteria
in the hind gut, and minerals such as calcium
and phosphorus
are recycled.
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s in the world, with probably no more than 200 individuals left. This rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
has an extremely limited distribution area, found only in the central and southern regions of the Karoo Desert
Karoo
The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's Cape Province
Cape Province
The Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
. It is the only member
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
of the genus Bunolagus.
Identification
It typically has a black stripe running from the corner of the mouth over the cheek. It has a brown woolly tail, cream-colored fur on its belly and throat, and a broad, club-like hind foot. Its tail is pale brown with a tinge of black toward the tip. It is a nocturnal species.Habitat
It is nowadays found in only a few places in the Karoo, none of them being a protected area. FraserburgFraserburg
Fraserburg is a town in the Karoo region of South Africa's Northern Cape province.It was established in 1851 on the farm Rietfontein, and named after the Scottish immigrant Reverend Colin Fraser, and a church elder G.J. Meyburgh. Prior to the town establishment the earliest known inhabitants of the...
, Sutherland
Sutherland, Northern Cape
- External links :* * *...
and Victoria West
Victoria West
Victoria West is a town in the central Karoo region of South Africa's Northern Cape province. It is situated on the main N12 route, at an elevation of . It is the seat of the Ubuntu Local Municipality within the Pixley ka Seme DM....
all have small populations.
Behavior
Riverine rabbits feed on their favourite foods, the boegoeBoegoe
Boegoe is a word of Khoikhoi origin, which may refer to a number of South African plants, fungi or a mineral, that were used in traditional preparations. Most Boegoe plants are typified by a strong aromatic odour due to volatile oils released by glands in the leaves...
bush and ink bush at night, and rest up in forms during the day. A form is a shallow scrape made in the soil under a bush. Two types of droppings are produced. At night, when the rabbit is active, hard pellets are deposited. During the day droppings are soft, taken directly from the anus, and swallowed. In this way the riverine rabbit obtains vitamin B, produced by bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
in the hind gut, and minerals such as calcium
Calcium
Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
and phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
are recycled.