Bunyoro rabbit facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bunyoro rabbit |
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Poelagus
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| Species: |
marjorita
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| Bunyoro rabbit range | |
The Bunyoro rabbit, also known as the Central African rabbit, is a special type of rabbit. It's a mammal from the Leporidae family, which includes all rabbits and hares. This rabbit is the only species in its genus called Poelagus. You can find it in central Africa, living in wet savannah areas, often near rocky places.
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What Does It Look Like?
The Bunyoro rabbit is about 44 to 50 centimeters (17 to 20 inches) long. It weighs between 2 and 3 kilograms (4.4 to 6.6 pounds). Its back legs and ears are shorter than those of other African rabbits. Its fur feels a bit rough. The rabbit's body is mostly greyish-brown. Its tail is yellowish on top and white underneath.
Where Does It Live?
The Bunyoro rabbit lives in Central Africa. Its home stretches from southern Chad and South Sudan all the way to northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and western Kenya. It can be found as far south as the northern part of Lake Tanganyika. There is also a separate group of these rabbits in Angola.
These rabbits love damp savannah areas. They often live where there are rocky places. You might also find them in woodlands, especially where Isoberlinia trees grow. Sometimes, they even live in forests. They often share hiding spots with rock hyraxes, using the same cracks in rocks. In the Rift Valley, they live in similar places to rockhares found in southern Africa.
How Does It Behave?
The Bunyoro rabbit is nocturnal, meaning it is active at night. During the day, it hides in thick plants or in holes among rocks. At night, it comes out to eat with its family group.
What Does It Eat?
This rabbit eats grasses and flowering plants. It especially likes the fresh, juicy shoots that grow after land has been cleared or burned. If it lives near farms, it might eat rice and peanut plants.
Who Are Its Predators?
Animals that hunt the Bunyoro rabbit likely include hawks and owls. Other predators are servals (a type of wild cat), cape genets, and servaline genets (both types of cat-like animals).
How Does It Have Babies?
Bunyoro rabbits seem to have babies all year round. A mother rabbit is pregnant for about five weeks. She usually gives birth to one or two babies. These young rabbits are born quite helpless and need a lot of care. They are born in a special breeding hole, which the mother loosely covers with soil or grass.
Is It Endangered?
The number of Bunyoro rabbits seems to be steady. They are common in some areas where they live. There are no major threats to this rabbit, even though people sometimes hunt them locally. Because of this, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists the Bunyoro rabbit as a species of "Least Concern" on its Red List of Endangered Species. This means they are not currently at high risk of disappearing.
