Japanese hareFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Japanese hare[1]

Japanese hare in March, in a park

in Tsukuba, Japan

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[2]

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Lagomorpha

Family: Leporidae

Genus: Lepus

Species: L. brachyurus

Binomial name

Lepus brachyurus

Temminck, 1845

Japanese hare range

The Japanese hare (Lepus brachyurus) is an Asian hare.

Contents

  [hide] 

1 Geographic range

2 Habitat

3 Physical description

4 Reproduction

5 Behavior

6 Food

7 Human interaction and impact

8 Subspecies

9 References

Geographic range[edit]

Although named for Japan, the Japanese hare is found primarily in five countries on the continent of

Asia: Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia.

Habitat[edit]

The Japanese hare is mostly found in mountains or hilly areas in the places they inhabit. These are the areas

that it prefers to live in. It also inhabitsforests or brushy areas. Due to human encroachment though, this hare

has thrived in and around urban environments, so much so that it has become a nuisance in some places.

Physical description[edit]

The Japanese hare is reddish-brown, with a body length that ranges from 45 to 54 centimetres (18 to 21 in),

and a body weight of 1.3 to 2.5 kilograms (2.9 to 5.5 lb). Its tail will grow to lengths of 2 to 5 centimetres (0.79

to 1.97 in). Its front legs can be from 10 to 15 centimetres (3.9 to 5.9 in) long and the back legs from 12 to 15

centimetres (4.7 to 5.9 in) long. The ears grow to be 6 to 8 centimetres (2.4 to 3.1 in) long, and the tail 2 to 5

centimetres (0.79 to 1.97 in) long. In areas of northern Japan, the west coast, and the island of Sado, where

there is heavy snowfall, the Japanese hare loses its coloration in the autumn, remaining white until the spring,

when the reddish-brown fur returns.

Reproduction[edit]

The litter size of the Japanese hare varies from 1 to 6. The age of maturity is uncertain, but females probably

breed within a year of birth. Breedingcontinues year round. Several litters are born each year, each of which

contain 2–4 individuals. Mating is promiscuous; males chase females, and box to repel rivals.

Behavior[edit]

The Japanese hare, like most hares and rabbits, is nocturnal and feeds mainly in the evening and early

morning. It is silent except when it is in distress and gives out a call for the distress. It can and will occupy

burrows sometimes. It is a solitary animal except during mating season when males and females will gather for

breeding.

Food[edit]

Vegetation found in and around its habitat is where the Japanese hare gets most of its nutrients. Grasses,

shrubs, and bushes are all eaten by the hare. The Japanese hare is one of the few hares that will eat the bark

off of trees and it does so occasionally which can cause major damage to trees and forests. They will

sometimes eat the bark from a bonsai tree in Asia.

Human interaction and impact[edit]

A Japanese hare in brown pelage