Yunnan hare facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yunnan hare
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Lagomorpha
Family:	Leporidae
Genus:	Lepus
Species:	L. comus
Binomial name
Lepus comus G. M. Allen, 1927
Yunnan hare range
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Synonyms
Lepus peni Wang and Luo, 1985 Lepus pygmaeus Wang and Feng, 1985

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The Yunnan hare (Lepus comus) is a medium-sized mammal that belongs to the rabbit and hare family, Leporidae. It has soft, flat, and long fur on its back, which is grayish brown or dark gray. Its belly fur is whitish. This hare was once thought to live only in China, mostly in Yunnan province. However, it was also seen in northern Myanmar in the year 2000.

The Yunnan hare is a herbivore, meaning it eats plants. It looks for food like shrubs and small plants called forbs. Experts have looked at the Yunnan hare's numbers. The IUCN Red List of Endangered Species says it is a species of least concern. This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing. However, the Red List of China's Vertebrates lists it as "near threatened." This means it is almost at the point of being considered vulnerable.

What is a Yunnan Hare?

The Yunnan hare is a medium-sized hare. It usually measures about 32 to 48 centimeters (13 to 19 inches) long. It weighs between 1.8 to 2.5 kilograms (4 to 5.5 pounds). Its tail is light gray and about 9.5 to 11 centimeters (3.7 to 4.3 inches) long. The top of its tail is brownish.

How to Identify a Yunnan Hare

The fur on its back is soft, flat, and long. It can be grayish brown or dark gray. The fur on its belly is whitish. The back of its hips and rump are grayish. Its forelegs, sides, and outer hindlegs have a yellowish-brown color.

Its ears are short, about 9.7 to 13.5 centimeters (3.8 to 5.3 inches) long. They are pale gray on the inside and black at the very top. A whitish stripe runs from the base of the ear to its nose. This stripe also goes over its eye. The Yunnan hare has short nasal cavities, which are wide at the back. Its upper front teeth are Y-shaped when new. They become V-shaped as they wear down. Its hind feet are about 9.8 to 13 centimeters (3.9 to 5.1 inches) long.

Different Types of Yunnan Hares

The largest type of Yunnan hare is called L. c. comus. Its skull is usually more than 8.8 centimeters (3.5 inches) long. Its nose sticks out past its upper front teeth. The smallest type is L. c. pygmaeus. It has the narrowest forehead and the longest sides.

The Yunnan hare is smaller than the woolly hare. It also has brighter fur. However, some experts say that the gray rump of the Yunnan hare is also a feature of the woolly hare.

Where Do Yunnan Hares Live?

This species lives in the western Yungui Plateau and southern Hengduan Mountains. These areas are in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan, southern Sichuan, and western Guizhou. It has also been seen in northern Myanmar.

Yunnan Hare Habitats

The Yunnan hare is a mountain animal. It likes warm, wet places. Not much is known about its exact habitat. However, it is believed to live in high mountain shrubs and meadows. This is similar to where the woolly hare lives in Tibet. It might also live in open forests or at the edges of forests. You can find them at medium elevations, from about 1,300 to 3,200 meters (4,265 to 10,500 feet) above sea level.

Yunnan Hare Behavior and Life Cycle

The Yunnan hare is active during the day. However, it also looks for food at night. It eats plants like shrubs and small flowering plants. Hunters have reported that adult Yunnan hares have three burrows. The burrows made by male hares are shallower, smaller, and straighter. Female hares make oval-shaped and larger burrows.

Reproduction

Breeding usually starts in April. A female hare typically has two young in a litter, but can have one to four. In May, a female can have two or three litters of young.

Protecting the Yunnan Hare

Since 1996, the Yunnan hare has been listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. This is because it is found over a wide area. People who live in these areas say that the hare is common.

The number of Yunnan hares is not clear right now. However, their population is likely safe because they live in remote parts of southwestern China. But farming activities in mountain regions could be a threat. This farming might separate groups of hares living in different mountains.

The Red List of China's Vertebrates has listed the Yunnan hare as "near threatened." This means it is almost considered vulnerable. The Yunnan hare lives in several protected areas. These include Changshanerhai, Daweishan, Gaoligongshan, Jinpingfenshuiling, Nujiang, Shilin, and Tongbiguan Nature Reserves.