Riverine Rabbit

Facts

IUCN CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR)

Facts about this animal

The riverine rabbit reaches a head-body length of 34-48 cm. The tail measures 7-11 cm. Males weigh about 1.5 kg, females up to 1.9 kg. This rabbit has very long ears, a soft and silky coat and a light brown woolly tail with a black tip. Distinguishing marks include a distinctive white ring around each eye and a black stripe running from the corner of its mouth over its cheek. The belly and throat are cream in colour and the short limbs have particularly thick fur.

The Riverine Rabbits is a habitat specialist that occupies a very restricted and specialised niche: the discontinuous and dense vegetation on soft and nutrient-rich alluvial soils associated with the seasonal rivers of the Karoo. Riverine Rabbits therefore function as a biological indicator for the river zones in the Karoo, which are of enormous economical value for farmers. The extinction of Riverine Rabbits in many areas of its former distribution range in the Northern and Western Cape is therefore indicative of the severe destruction, fragmentation and loss of this habitat.

90% of the rabbit's diet consists of Karoo shrubs and the remaining 10% of grasses.

The Riverine Rabbit is a solitary, nocturnal animal and rests during the heat of the day in shallow depressions scraped out under shrubs. The breeding rate is unusually low. Breeding occurs between August and May. Females dig stable burrows in the soft and deep soils in which they raise, after a pregnancy period of 35 days, one (rarely two) offspring per breeding season. The newborn rabbits are blind, hairless and completely dependent on their mother, whereas hare leverets can see and have fur at birth. The live span in the wild hardly exceeds 4 years.

Did you know?
that conversion of habitat for agriculture has been the major threat to the riverine rabbit? More than 60% of the original riparian vegetation where this species is found has been converted to cultivation.

Factsheet
Class	MAMMALIA
Order	LAGOMORPHA
Family	LEPORIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Bunolagus monticularis
Name (English)	Riverine Rabbit
Name (French)	Lapin des Boschimans d'Afrique du Sud
Name (German)	Buschmannhase
Name (Spanish)	Conejo Ribereño de Sudáfrica
Local names	Afrikaans: Vleihaas, boshaas, doekvoetjie or pondhaas
CITES Status	Not listed
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
WAZA Project

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Karoo, South Africa
Habitat	Dense riverine scrub along the seasonal rivers
Wild population	2003: Less than 250 mature individuals (Red List IUCN 2011)
Zoo population	none

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 79 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

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Photo Copyright by
WAZA Project

Why do zoos keep this animal

There are currently no riverine rabbits kept by zoos. Several zoos support however an in situ conservation project for the species.

How this animal should be kept

There is not much experience in keeping riverine rabbits. Essentially their requirements should be similar to those of brown hares, except that they need burrows and must have digging opportunities. Like brown hares they should be kept in predator-proof outdoor enclosures or aviaries. The minimum surface for a pair is 20 m², for each additional animal 4 m² more must be provided. It should be taken into account, however, that riverine rabbits are solitary animals and, unless the enclosure is very large, it is not recommended to keep more than a pair together.

The bounds of the enclosure must be so designed as to minimise the risk of injury. Riverine rabbits are fast runners and, in particular, in larger enclosures there is a risk of the animals breaking their neck when scared.

Riverine rabbits do not feel comfortable if there is no cover. Therefore, the enclosure should be furnished with shrubs, logs and rocks.

The diet consists primarily of green fodder, lucerne hay, and vegetables, which can be supplemented with commercial rabbit pellets. In addition branches should be offered for wearing the teeth.

Riverine rabbits can be kept in mixed exhibits e.g. together with gallinaceous birds, pigeons or dover, small owls and passerines, or with ungulates such as steenbok or other small antelope.