Springhare
Pedetes capensis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderRodentia (Rosegadors)
- FamilyPedetidae (Springhares)
- GenusPedetes (Springhares)
- SpeciesPedetes capensis (Springhare)
The South African springhare (Pedetes capensis) (Afrikaans: 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, and is native to southern Africa. Formerly, the genus was considered monotypic and the East African springhare (P. surdaster) was included in P. capensis. Springhares live throughout semi-arid areas in southern Africa, preferentially in sandy plains and pans with short grasses. In agricultural areas, springhares can be considered a pest due to their destructive feeding on crops. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Etosha National Park
Cape Ground Squirrel
Xerus inauris
Smith's Bush Squirrel
Paraxerus cepapi
Congo Rope Squirrel
Funisciurus congicus
Black-tailed Tree Rat
Thallomys nigricauda
Dassie Rat
Petromus typicus
Cape Porcupine
Hystrix africaeaustralis
Namaqua Rock Rat
Micaelamys namaquensis
Pygmy Mouse
Mus minutoides
Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse
Rhabdomys pumilio
Acacia Rat
Thallomys paedulcus
pygmy rock mouse
Petromyscus collinus
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Springhare at Etosha National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
🌙 When They're Spotted
Most active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 6 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 7 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 8 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia |