Overview
Distribution
Range Description
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Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
L. brachyurus has three to five times of parturition in a year and one to four offspring per litter. Females reach sexual maturity at 10 months and their breeding season is from February to July (Flux and Angermann 1990). L. brachyurus is a nocturnal species (Flux and Angermann 1990).
Systems
- Terrestrial
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Life History and Behavior
Life Expectancy
Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
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Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Justification
History
- 1996Lower Risk/least concern
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Trends
Population
Total population size in Japan is unknown; however, recent density became very low compared with those in 1970-80s when most forests were logged. Fecal pellet counts indicated that population densities are likely to be higher in younger stands, where open canopy allows for greater herbaceous content (Shimano et al. 2006).
Population size only in forests (505,000 ha in total size) in Niigata prefecture in 2002-2003 was estimated as 140,000 hares. Density of L. b. angustidens was estimated to be 0.4/ha on Honshu (Hayashi 1978).
Population Trend
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Threats
Threats
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Management
Conservation Actions
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Wikipedia
Japanese Hare
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007) |
The Japanese hare (Lepus brachyurus) is an Asian hare.
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Geographic range
The Japanese hare is found on the continent of Asia. It is found primarily in 5 countries even though it is named for Japan. The Japanese hare is found in Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia.
Habitat
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 inhabits forests 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
The Japanese hare has a body length that ranges from 12 to 18 inches long. Its tail will grow to lengths of 1- 3 inches long. Its front legs grow from 4 to 6 inches and the back legs can grow from 6 inches to 8 inches long. The Japanese hare's ears grow to be about 2 inches long when fully grown. The Japanese hare is one of the many mammals that change the color of the fur according to the season. Although all Japanese hares do not change their fur color, those that live in varying climate conditions do.
Reproduction
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. Breeding continues 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
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
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.
Human interaction and impact
The Japanese hare populations seem to be stable. It is so stable in some places that it has become a nuisance animal in the regions that it inhabits. It is hunted in certain regions for food, fur, pelts, and to help curb its growing numbers in the places it lives in.
Subspecies
There are four subspecies of this hare:
- Lepus brachyurus brachyurus
- Lepus brachyurus angustidens
- Lepus brachyurus lyoni
- Lepus brachyurus okiensis
References
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lepus brachyurus |
- ^ Hoffman, Robert S.; Smith, Andrew T. (16 November 2005). "Order Lagomorpha (pp. 185-211". In Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). p. 196. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3.
- ^ Lagomorph Specialist Group (1996). Lepus brachyurus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 2006-06-12. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
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