View source for Hispid hare

{{Short description|Species of mammal}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Hispid hare
| image = Caprolagus hispidus Chitwan Rediscovery 2017.jpg
| image_caption = [[Chitwan National Park]], Nepal
| status = EN
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Caprolagus hispidus'' |author=Aryal, A. |author2=Yadav, B. |date=2019 |page=e.T3833A45176688 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T3833A45176688.en |access-date=16 January 2022}}</ref>
| status2 = CITES_A1
| status2_system = CITES
| status2_ref = <ref name=iucn/>
| genus = Caprolagus
| parent_authority = [[Edward Blyth|Blyth]], 1845
| species = hispidus
| authority = ([[John Thomas Pearson|J. T. Pearson]] in [[Thomas Horsfield|Horsfield]], 1840)
| range_map = Hispid Hare area.png
| range_map_caption = Hispid hare range
| synonyms = ''Lepus hispidus'' <small>[[John Thomas Pearson|J. T. Pearson]] in [[Thomas Horsfield|Horsfield]], 1840</small>
| synonyms_ref = <ref>{{Cite mdd|id=1001077|species=hispidus|genus=Caprolagus|access-date=May 8, 2025}}</ref>
}}
The '''hispid hare''' ('''''Caprolagus hispidus'''''), also known as the '''Assam rabbit''' and '''bristly rabbit''', is a [[species]] of [[rabbit]] native to [[South Asia]]. It is the [[monotypic taxon|only species]] in the [[genus]] '''''Caprolagus'''''. Named for its bristly fur coat, the hispid hare is a rabbit with dark-brown fur and a large nose. It has small ears compared to the [[Indian hare]], a [[Lagomorpha|lagomorph]] that [[Sympatry|occurs in the same regions]] as the hispid hare.

Once thought to be [[Extinction|extinct]], the hispid hare was rediscovered in [[Assam]] in 1971 and has been found in isolated populations across [[India]], [[Nepal]], and [[Bangladesh]]. Its historic range extended along the southern foothills of the [[Himalayas]], and a related fossil in the genus ''Caprolagus'' has been found as far away as Indonesia. Today, the species' habitat is much smaller and is highly [[Habitat fragmentation|fragmented]]. The region it occupies is estimated to be less than {{convert|500|km2}}, extending over an area of {{convert|5000|to|20000|km2}}. Populations experienced a continuing decline due to [[Habitat loss|loss of suitable habitat]] via increasing [[agriculture]], [[flood control]], and human development, particularly burning and collection of [[Thatching|thatch]] grasses. It has been listed as [[Endangered]] on the [[IUCN Red List]] since 1986. The rabbit is known to occur in several [[national park]]s. [[Captive breeding|Breeding in captivity]] has been described as "very difficult". [[Wildlife conservation|Conservation]] efforts focus on community education and further study.

== Taxonomy and etymology ==
The hispid hare was placed in the genus ''[[Lepus]]'', the hares, on its first description by the British surgeon [[John Thomas Pearson]] in 1839, where it was given the [[scientific name]] ''Lepus hispidus''. This description was first published in the Calcutta Sporting Magazine, but the first formal account was published by [[Thomas Horsfield]] a year later in the [[Proceedings of the Zoological Society]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://archive.org/stream/proceedingsofgen36zool#page/n681/mode/2up |title=18. ''Lepus hispidus'' |last=Pearson |first=J. T. |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |date=1839 |volume=VII |page=152}}</ref> Pearson noted that the ears of the hispid hare were "so short as not to extend past the fur on its head", but later authors assumed this to be a mistake.<ref name="Blyth1946" /> The [[species name]] ''hispidus'', as well as the common name "hispid hare", refers to the coarseness of the fur<ref name="Blyth1946">{{Cite journal |last=Blyth |first=E. |author-link1=Edward Blyth |date=1845 |title=Description of ''Caprolagus'', a new genus of leporine mammalia |url=https://ia801307.us.archive.org/28/items/biostor-95072/biostor-95072.pdf |journal=The Annals and Magazine of Natural History; Zoology, Botany, and Geology |location=London |volume=17 |pages=163–165}}</ref> as the term describes something as being rough or covered in stiff hairs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of hispid |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hispid |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www.merriam-webster.com |language=en}}</ref> English zoologist [[Edward Blyth]] gave the hispid hare a distinct genus, ''Caprolagus'', in 1845 due to its unusual [[morphology (biology)|morphology]], though he did not provide a reasoning for the name chosen. He noted in particular the rough fur (unusual for a hare or rabbit), large and robust skull, diminished eyes and whiskers, strong claws, and equally-proportioned limbs.<ref name="Blyth1946" /> Later studies in the 21st century confirmed its place as the [[monotypic genus|only species]] within its genus;<ref name="Lagomorphs2018">{{Lagomorphs2018|chapter=''Caprolagus hispidus'' (Pearson, 1839) Hispid hare|last1=Smith |first1=A. T. |last2=Johnston |first2=C. H. |pages=93-95}}</ref> the closely related<ref>{{Cite book|chapter=The Lagomorph Fossil Record and the Origin of the European Rabbit |pages=39–40 |isbn=978-3-540-72446-9 |doi=10.1007/978-3-540-72446-9_3 |publisher=Springer |title=Lagomorph Biology |editor-last1=Alves |editor-first1=P. C. |editor-last2=Ferrand |editor-first2=N. |editor-last3=Hackländer |editor-first3=K. |first=N. |last=Lopez-Martinez |date=2008}}</ref> [[extinct]] species {{extinct}}''Pliosiwalagus sivalensis'' was once considered to be a member of ''Caprolagus'', but was reclassified in 2002.<ref name="Patnaik-2002">{{Cite journal|title=Pliocene Leporidae (Lagomorpha, Mammalia) from the Upper Siwaliks of India: Implications for phylogenetic relationships |doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2002)022[0443:PLLMFT]2.0.CO;2 |date=2002 |journal=[[Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology]] |first=R. |last=Patnaik |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=443–452}}</ref> The [[type specimen]] of the hispid hare was taken from the "base of the Boutan [= Bhutan] mountains" in [[Assam]], India, and was described by Blyth in his 1845 description of the new genus,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Abedin |first1=I. |last2=Mukherjee |first2=T. |last3=Kim |first3=A. R. |last4=Kim |first4=H.-W. |last5=Kang |first5=H.-E. |last6=Kundu |first6=S. |date=2024 |title=Distribution Model Reveals Rapid Decline in Habitat Extent for Endangered Hispid Hare: Implications for Wildlife Management and Conservation Planning in Future Climate Change Scenarios |journal=Biology |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=198 |doi=10.3390/biology13030198 |issn=2079-7737 |pmc=10967808 |pmid=38534467 |doi-access=free}}</ref> but it is unclear if this specimen exists in any collection today.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hispid hare - ''Caprolagus hispidus'' {{!}} Specimen |url=https://laji.fi/en/taxon/MX.50373/specimens |access-date=2025-05-08 |website=Finnish Biodiversity Info Facility |language=fi}}</ref> 

Several fossil species have been described that belong in the genus ''Caprolagus''. ''C. netscheri'' was described by German zoologist [[Hermann Schlegel]] in 1880, but this species was later reclassified as the living [[Sumatran striped rabbit]]. Swiss zoologist [[Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major]] described the species {{Extinct}}''C. sivalensis'' in 1899 based on specimens found in the [[Sivalik Hills]], but this species was later placed in the genus ''[[Pliosiwalagus]]''.<ref name="Patnaik-2002" /> Chinese paleontologist [[Yang Zhongjian]] described another species, {{Extinct}}''C. brachypus'', in 1927. However, several later authors disagreed on the placement of this species; it is no longer regarded as a member of ''Caprolagus'', and has been regarded as belonging in the genera ''[[Alilepus]]'',<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Averianov |first=Alexander |date=1996 |title=On the systematic position of rabbit "''Caprolagus''" ''brachypus'' Young, 1927 (Lagomorpha, Leporidae) from the Villafranchian of China |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323471678 |journal=Tr. Zool. Inst. Ross. Akad. Nauk |language=ru |volume=270 |pages=148–157}}</ref> ''[[Hypolagus]]'',<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bohlin |first=Birger |date=1942 |title=A Revision of the fossil Lagomorpha in the Palaeontological Museum, Upsala |url=https://paleoarchive.com/literature/Bohlin1942-RevisionFossilLagomorphaPalaeontologicalMuseumUpsala.pdf |journal=Bulletin of the Paleontological Institute of Upsala |volume=30 |pages=133}}</ref> and currently ''[[Sericolagus]]''.<ref name="Averianov-2001" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=The NOW Community |date=2025 |title=New and Old Worlds Database of Fossil Mammals (NOW) |url=https://taxonmanager-staging.it.helsinki.fi/hierarchy/5332 |doi=10.5281/zenodo.4268068}}</ref> Fossils of one extinct species, {{Extinct}}''C. lapis'', which was described by Dutch paleontologist [[Dirk Albert Hooijer]] in 1964 and is thought to have lived in Indonesia,<ref name="Averianov-2001">{{Cite journal |last=Averianov |first=Alexander |date=2001 |title=Lagomorphs (Mammalia) from the Pleistocene of Eurasia |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280611325 |journal=[[Paleontological Journal]] |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=191–199}}</ref> may date back {{Ma|3.6|million years}}<ref name="PaleobioDB" /> and is the only current fossil ''Caprolagus''.<ref name="Averianov-2001" /> No fossils are known that are assigned to the living hispid hare, ''C. hispidus'', but one specimen was found in 2011 from the [[Pothohar Plateau]] that may correspond to it or the genera ''[[Pliopentalagus]]'' or ''Pliosiwalagus''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Winkler |first1=Alisa J. |last2=Flynn |first2=Lawrence J. |last3=Tomida |first3=Yukimitsu |date=2011 |title=Fossil lagomorphs from the Potwar Plateau, northern Pakistan |url=https://palaeo-electronica.org/2011_3/17_winkler/17_winkler.pdf |journal=Palaeontologia Electronica |volume=14 |issue=3}}</ref> 

No [[subspecies]] of the hispid hare are known.<ref name="Lagomorphs2018" /> The following [[cladogram]] shows the relationships between ''Caprolagus'', other rabbits, and hares, based on a [[phylogenetic tree]] from Leandro Iraçabal and colleagues published in 2024:<ref name="Iraçabal-2024">{{Cite journal |last1=Iraçabal |first1=L. |last2=Barbosa |first2=M. R. |last3=Selvatti |first3=A. P. |last4=Russo |first4=C. A. de Moraes |date=2024 |title=Molecular time estimates for the Lagomorpha diversification |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=19 |issue=9 |pages=e0307380 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0307380 |doi-access=free |pmc=11379240 |pmid=39241029}}</ref> 
{{cladogram
  |1={{clade
   |1={{clade
    |1={{clade
     |1=''[[Lepus]]''
     |2={{clade
      |1=''[[Sylvilagus]]''
      |2={{clade
       |1='''''Caprolagus'''''
       |2=''[[Pentalagus]]''
       }}
      }}
     }}
    |2=''[[Romerolagus]]''
    }}
   |2={{clade
    |1={{clade
     |1=''[[Pronolagus]]''
     |2=''[[Poelagus]]''
     }}
    |2=''[[Nesolagus]]''
    }}
}}|align=left|title=Leporid phylogeny minus rogue taxa with insufficient information (''Bunolagus'', ''Oryctolagus'', some species in ''Sylvilagus'')<ref name="Iraçabal-2024" />}}{{Clear}}

== Description ==
[[File:CaprolagusHispidusJASB.jpg|thumb|left|1845 illustration by J. Hendrie]]
The hispid hare has a harsh and bristly fur coat. The coat is dark brown on the back due to a mixture of black and brown hairs; brown on the chest and whitish on the [[abdomen]].<ref name="Bell1990" /> The tail is brown and ranges from {{Convert|25 to 38|mm|abbr=off}} long. The ears of the adult are {{Convert|54 to 61|mm|abbr=on}} long.<ref name="Lagomorphs2018" /> In body weight, males range from {{Convert|1810 to 2610|g|oz|abbr=off}} with a mean of {{cvt|2248|g}}. Females weigh on average {{cvt|2518|g}}; a heavily pregnant female weighing {{cvt|3210|g}} was included in this average.<ref name="Bell1990">{{cite book |last1=Bell |first1=D. J. |title=Rabbits, Hares, and Pikas: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan |last2=Oliver |first2=W. L. R. |last3=Ghose |first3=R. K. |publisher=International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources |year=1990 |isbn=978-2831700199 |editor1=Chapman, J. A. |location=Gland, Switzerland |pages=128–137 |chapter=The hispid hare ''Caprolagus hispidus'' |editor2=Flux, J. E. C. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q994k86i0zYC&pg=PA128}}</ref>

In terms of its skeletal features, the [[frontal bone]]s of the hispid hare are very wide. There is no clear notch in front of the [[postorbital process]]es (bone structures above the eye sockets).<ref name="ems66">{{cite book |last1=Ellerman |first1=J. R. |last2=Morrison-Scott |first2=T. C. S. |year=1966 |url=https://archive.org/stream/checklistofindia00elle#page/424/mode/2up |title=Checklist of Palaearctic and Indian mammals 1758 to 1946 |edition=2nd |publisher=British Museum of Natural History |location=London |page=424}}</ref> At its greatest length, the skull has been measured to be {{Convert|76|mm}}.<ref name="Lagomorphs2018" />

Compared to other [[Lagomorpha|lagomorphs]], the hispid hare has a very large nose. Its short ears and completely brown tail can be used as indicators to distinguish it from the rufous-tailed hare (''Lepus nigricollis ruficaudatus''), a subspecies of the [[Indian hare]] that [[Sympatry|occupies the same regions]] as the hispid hare but has longer ears and a white underside on its tail.<ref name="Lagomorphs2018" />

== Distribution and habitat ==
The historical range of the hispid hare extended from [[Uttar Pradesh]] through southern [[Nepal]], the northern region of [[West Bengal]] to [[Assam]] and into [[Bangladesh]].<ref name="Bell1990" /> Today, its [[Species distribution|distribution]] is considered to be limited to northern [[India]], southern Nepal, and eastern [[Bhutan]]. Its presence in [[Kanha National Park]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]] is only known from fecal pellet analysis, and has not been confirmed by any sightings.<ref name="Lagomorphs2018" /> It was also thought to occur in [[D'Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary]] in [[Arunachal Pradesh]], but little evidence of the hispid hare has been found, with the Indian hare being more common in the area.<ref>{{Citation |last=Kumar |first=Anil |title=Mammals of Arunachal Pradesh, India |date=2018 |work=Indian Hotspots: Vertebrate Faunal Diversity, Conservation and Management Volume 2 |pages=165–176 |editor-last=Sivaperuman |editor-first=Chandrakasan |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-10-6983-3_9 |access-date=2025-05-06 |place=Singapore |publisher=Springer |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-981-10-6983-3_9 |isbn=978-981-10-6983-3 |editor2-last=Venkataraman |editor2-first=Krishnamoorthy}}</ref>

The hispid hare lives in successional tall [[grasslands]]—regions dominated by [[elephant grass]]—which provide cover and food.<ref name="Lagomorphs2018" /> These grassland habitats are highly [[Habitat fragmentation|fragmented]].<ref name="Molur-2005">{{Cite book |url=https://zooreach.org/downloads/ZOO_CAMP_PHVA_reports/2005RodentCAMPreport.pdf |title=Status of South Asian Non-volant Small Mammals |publisher=Zoo Outreach Organisation |year=2005 |isbn=81-88722-11-1 |editor-last=Molur |editor-first=Sanjay |pages=43, 91, 141-142 |language=en |editor-last2=Srinivasulu |editor-first2=C. |editor-last3=Srinivasulu |editor-first3=Bhargavi |editor-last4=Walker |editor-first4=Sally |editor-last5=Nameer |editor-first5=P.O. |editor-last6=Ravikumar |editor-first6=Latha}}</ref> It takes refuge in marshy areas or grasses adjacent to river banks during the dry season, when grassy areas are susceptible to burning.<ref name="Bell1990" /> However, populations that take shelter near rivers are threatened by flooding during a [[monsoon]],<ref name="Lagomorphs2018" /> and the species tends towards dry grasslands more than wet regions with dense grasses.<ref name="Thapa-2024"/>

== Behavior and ecology ==
[[File:Saccharum spontaneum at the bank of rever Ganges 07102013 01.jpg|alt=A field of tall brown grasses during the daytime|thumb|The hispid hare feeds upon various grasses, including the widespread [[Saccharum spontaneum|kans grass]] (''Saccharum spontaneum'').]]
The hispid hare is [[Crepuscular animal|crepuscular]], being most active at dawn and dusk. Its average litter size is small,<ref name=Bell1990 /> with each litter producing two to three young.<ref name="Lagomorphs2018" /> Gestation lasts 40 days, and on average 3 litters are produced annually.<ref name="Heldstab-2021">{{Cite journal |last=Heldstab |first=Sandra A. |date=2021-12-01 |title=Habitat characteristics and life history explain reproductive seasonality in lagomorphs |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42991-021-00127-0 |journal=Mammalian Biology |language=en |volume=101 |issue=6 |pages=739–757 |doi=10.1007/s42991-021-00127-0 |issn=1618-1476}}</ref> It is [[sympatry|sympatric]] with the [[pygmy hog]],<ref name="Maheswaran2013" /> a [[Bioindicator|biological indicator]] for the health of its habitat. The hispid hare's predators include [[Bird of prey|birds of prey]], [[cat]]s, [[civet]]s, jackals, weasels, and foxes.<ref name=Tshewang-2021>{{cite book |last1=Tshewang |first1=Ugyen |chapter=Conservation Strategy of Threatened and Under-Represented Mammalian Species |date=2021 |title=Bhutan: Conservation and Environmental Protection in the Himalayas |pages=279–302 |editor-last=Tshewang |editor-first=Ugyen |chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-57824-4_6 |access-date=2025-05-06 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-57824-4_6 |isbn=978-3-030-57824-4 |last2=Tobias |first2=Michael Charles |last3=Morrison |first3=Jane Gray |editor2-last=Tobias |editor2-first=Michael Charles |editor3-last=Morrison |editor3-first=Jane Gray}}</ref> It maintains a relatively small [[home range]] of {{Convert|.0042|km2}} on average.<ref name="Heldstab-2021" /> The home ranges of male and female rabbits may overlap; females have smaller home ranges than those of males.<ref name="Lagomorphs2018" />

The hispid hare is [[Herbivore|herbivorous]], and eats grasses and leaves within its habitat. It prefers [[Saccharum spontaneum|kans grass]], [[Imperata cylindrica|cogongrass]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Aryal |first1=Achyut |last2=Brunton |first2=Dianne |last3=Ji |first3=Weihong |last4=Yadav |first4=Hemanta Kumar |last5=Adhikari |first5=Bikash |last6=Raubenheimer |first6=David |date=2012 |title=Diet and Habitat use of Hispid Hare Caprolagus hispidus in Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, Nepal |url=http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.3106/041.037.0205 |journal=Mammal Study |language=en |volume=37 |issue=2 |pages=147–154 |doi=10.3106/041.037.0205 |issn=1343-4152}}</ref> ''[[Saccharum narenga]]'',<ref name="Nath-2015">{{Cite journal |last1=Nath |first1=Naba K. |last2=Machary |first2=Kamal |date=2015-12-26 |title=An ecological assessment of Hispid Hare Caprolagus hispidus (Mammalia: Lagomorpha: Leporidae) in Manas National Park, Assam, India |url=https://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/2461 |url-status=live |journal=Journal of Threatened Taxa |language=en |volume=7 |issue=15 |page=8195 |doi=10.11609/jott.2461.7.15.8195-8204 |issn=0974-7907 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240707234918/http://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/2461 |archive-date=2024-07-07}}</ref> and grasses in the genus ''[[Narenga (plant)|Narenga]]'', depending on the availability of each.<ref name="Yadhav-2008">{{Cite journal |last=Yadhav |first=Bhupendra Prasav |date=2008 |title=Status, Distribution and Habitat Use of Hispid Hare in Royal Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, Nepal |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277250453 |journal=Tiger Paper |volume=22 |issue=3 |issn=1014-2789}}</ref><ref name="Lagomorphs2018" /> At least 23 different plant species are eaten by the hispid hare, including the grasses ''[[Desmostachya bipinnata]]'' and ''[[Cynodon dactylon]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tandan |first1=Promod |last2=Dhakal |first2=Bhuwan |last3=Karki |first3=Kabita |last4=Aryal |first4=Achyut |date=2013 |title=Tropical grasslands supporting the endangered hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus) population in the Bardia National Park, Nepal |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24097941 |journal=Current Science |volume=105 |issue=5 |pages=691–694 |jstor=24097941 |issn=0011-3891}}</ref> When feeding on the shoots and roots of plants used for [[thatching]], the hispid hare breaks the plant at its base and strips its outer sheath before consumption. Hispid hares likely obtain much of their water through consuming grasses, which during cold seasons can have a water content of over 60%.<ref name="Yadhav-2008" />

== Conservation ==
[[File:Shuklaphanta.jpg|thumb|alt=Grassland under a cloudy sky|Shuklaphanta National Park, a protected area where the hispid hare is known to occur]]
Grassland habitats of the hispid hare are threatened due to [[overgrazing]] by cattle.<ref name="Maheswaran2013">{{Cite book |chapter=Ecology and Conservation of Endangered Hispid Hare ''Caprolagus hispidus'' in India |date=2013 |pages=179–203 |author-last=Maheswaran |author-first=G. |title=Rare Animals of India |publisher=Bentham Science Publishers |doi=10.2174/9781608054855113010012 |isbn=978-1-60805-485-5 |editor=Singaravelan, N.}}</ref> Additionally, the hispid hare is threatened by the cutting and burning of vegetation in its habitat. The species' preference for dry ground and less dense grass leads to activity and population declines in periods of high rainfall and intense vegetation [[Ecological succession|succession]] or growth. Grassland burning is significantly more threatening to the species during the breeding season. Changes to the grassland habitat in the [[Terai Arc Landscape]] due to burning, succession, [[habitat fragmentation]] and collection of grasses for thatch<ref name=Dhami-2023>{{Cite journal |last1=Dhami |first1=Bijaya |last2=Neupane |first2=Bijaya |last3=K.C. |first3=Nishan |last4=Maraseni |first4=Tek |last5=Basyal |first5=Chitra Rekha |last6=Joshi |first6=Laxmi Raj |last7=Adhikari |first7=Hari |date=2023 |title=Ecological factors associated with hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus) habitat use and conservation threats in the Terai Arc Landscape of Nepal |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2351989423000720 |journal=Global Ecology and Conservation |language=en |volume=43 |pages=e02437 |doi=10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02437|bibcode=2023GEcoC..4302437D }}</ref> has been especially detrimental to herbivores in the region, including the hispid hare.<ref name="Thapa-2024">{{Cite journal |last1=Thapa |first1=Arjun |last2=K. C. |first2=Rabin Bahadur |last3=Paudel |first3=Rajan Prasad |last4=Kadariya |first4=Rabin |last5=G. C. |first5=Rima |last6=Khadka |first6=Ranjita |last7=Joshi |first7=Laxmi Raj |last8=Shah |first8=Shyam Kumar |last9=Dahal |first9=Sagar |date=2024-12-01 |title=Factors influencing the distribution of the endangered hispid hare in Bardia National Park, Nepal |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42991-024-00430-6 |journal=Mammalian Biology |language=en |volume=104 |issue=6 |pages=725–735 |doi=10.1007/s42991-024-00430-6 |issn=1618-1476}}</ref><ref name=Dhami-2023/> Thatch harvesting has also been noted as an unsustainable and habitat-damaging practice in the hispid hare-inhabited [[Manas National Park]].<ref name="Nath-2015" />

The hispid hare is known to occur in several [[protected area]]s. Prior to its rediscovery in [[Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary]] alongside the pygmy hog in 1971, it was thought to be extinct.<ref name="Maheswaran2013" /> Sightings of the rabbit have occurred sporadically since then across its distribution, though the population is in decline due to [[habitat loss]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nidup |first=T. |date=2018 |title=Endangered Hispid Hare (''Caprolagus hispidus'' - Pearson 1839) in the Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan |url=https://worldlagomorphsociety.org/Content/pdf/news/Hispid%20hare%20in%20Bhutan%202019.pdf |journal=Journal of Bhutan Ecological Society |issue=3}}</ref> The hispid hare is known to be present in the grasslands of [[Shuklaphanta National Park]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baral |first1=H.S. |last2=Inskipp |first2=C. |year=2009 |title=The Birds of Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve, Nepal |journal=Our Nature |volume=7 |pages=56–81 |doi=10.3126/on.v7i1.2554 |doi-access=free}}</ref> based on pellet records, but its population density is very low (from 0.182 to 0.221 individuals per [[hectare]]), comparable only with that of [[Jaldapara National Park|Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary]] (0.087 per hectare).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chand |first1=D. B. |last2=Khanal |first2=L. |last3=Chalise |first3=M. K. |date=2017 |title=Distribution and Habitat Preference of Hispid Hare (Caprolagus Hispidus) In Shuklaphanta National Park, Nepal |url=https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/TUJ/article/view/25326 |journal=Tribhuvan University Journal |volume=31 |issue=1–2 |pages=1–16 |doi=10.3126/tuj.v31i1-2.25326 |issn=2091-0916}}</ref> In January 2016, a hispid hare was recorded in [[Chitwan National Park]] for the first time since 1984.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Khadka, B.B. |author2=Yadav, B.P. |author3=Aryal, N. |author4=Aryal, A. |name-list-style=amp |year=2017 |title=Rediscovery of the hispid hare (''Caprolagus hispidus'') in Chitwan National Park, Nepal after three decades |journal=Conservation Science |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=10–12 |doi=10.3126/cs.v5i1.18560 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Development of controlled burning systems that do not overlap with the breeding season of the hispid hare has been recommended as a potential conservation measure.<ref name="Thapa-2024" /> Additionally, recommendations have been made to continue studying the distribution and ecological significance of the species and to educate communities on its endangered status.<ref name=Tshewang-2021/> Efforts to breed the hispid hare in captivity have been described as "very difficult".<ref name="Molur-2005" />

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="PaleobioDB">{{cite web |title=''Caprolagus'' |url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=42170&is_real_user=1 |website=[[Paleobiology Database]] |access-date=2025-05-06 |archive-date=2024-04-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426212413/https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=42170&is_real_user=1 |url-status=live}}</ref>
</references>

{{Lagomorpha|L.}}
{{Lagomorpha Genera|Le.|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q301068}}
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[[Category:Mammals described in 1839]]
[[Category:Mammals of Asia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Bhutan]]
[[Category:Mammals of India]]
[[Category:Mammals of Nepal]]
[[Category:Leporidae]]