JUMPING-HARE

jumping-hare, the english equivalent of springhaas, the boer name of a large leaping south and east african rodent mammal, _pedetes caffer_, typifying a family by itself, the _pedetidae_. originally classed with the jerboas, to which it has no affinity, this remarkable rodent approximates in the structure of its skull to the porcupine-group, near which it is placed by some naturalists, although others consider that its true position is with the african scaly-tailed flying squirrels (_anomaluridae_). the colour of the creature is bright rufous fawn; the eyes are large; and the bristles round the muzzle very long, the former having a fringe of long hairs. the front limbs are short, and the hind ones very long; and although the fore-feet have five toes, those of the hind-feet are reduced to four. the bones of the lower part of the hind leg (tibia and fibula) are united for a great part of their length. there are four pairs of cheek-teeth in each jaw, which do not develop roots. the jumping-hare is found in open or mountainous districts, and has habits very like a jerboa. it is nocturnal, and dwells in composite burrows excavated and tenanted by several families. when feeding it progresses on all four legs, but if frightened takes gigantic leaps on the hind-pair alone; the length of such leaps frequently reaches twenty feet, or even more. the young are generally three or four in number, and are born in the summer. a second smaller species has been named. (see rodentia.)