Hispid Hare

The Hispid Hare, also called the Assam Rabbit or Bristly Rabbit, is a rare and elusive lagomorph endemic to the Terai grasslands of the Indian subcontinent. It is the sole member of the genus Caprolagus and is notable for its coarse, bristly fur and rabbit-like proportions despite being classified as a hare. Once widespread across the Himalayan foothills, it has suffered dramatic population declines due to habitat loss, making it one of the most endangered lagomorphs in the world.

Northern India, southern Nepal, with historical presence in Bangladesh and Bhutan

Historically found across the Terai belt from Uttar Pradesh in India through southern Nepal to Assam and West Bengal, with possible historic occurrence in Bangladesh and Bhutan. Today its range is highly fragmented, surviving in isolated protected areas including Manas National Park (India), Chitwan and Shuklaphanta National Parks (Nepal), and parts of northern West Bengal and Assam.

Altitude and depth

Lowland habitat, typically 100-300 meters above sea level

Seasonal movements

No true migration, but activity and habitat use shift seasonally with grassland burning cycles and monsoon flooding, which regenerate the tall grass cover it depends upon.

It inhabits tall, dense early-successional grasslands (elephant grass) in the Terai region, often associated with riverine floodplains and alluvial plains. These habitats require periodic disturbance such as flooding or fire to maintain the tall grass structure the species depends on.

Adaptations to its environment

Its coarse, bristly fur provides camouflage and protection while moving through dense, sharp-edged grasses. Strong hind limbs allow rapid movement through thick vegetation, and its cryptic coloration and secretive habits help it avoid predators in open grassland edges.

Endangered (EN) according to IUCN, due to a severe and ongoing decline in population and habitat, estimated at over 50% reduction over the last three generations from habitat destruction and fragmentation.

Estimated population

Population size is unknown precisely but believed to be fewer than 2,500 mature individuals, fragmented into small, declining subpopulations across its range.

Major threats include large-scale conversion of grasslands to agriculture, uncontrolled and mistimed burning, livestock grazing, flood control projects altering natural flooding regimes, and hunting/poaching using dogs and nets.

The species is protected under national wildlife legislation in India and Nepal and is listed on CITES Appendix I. It is present in several protected areas such as Manas National Park, Chitwan National Park, and Shuklaphanta National Park, with ongoing habitat management focused on controlled grassland burning.

Recommended actions

Priority actions include protecting and restoring remaining Terai grassland habitat, implementing scientifically-timed controlled burns, preventing habitat conversion to agriculture, enhancing anti-poaching patrols, and conducting population surveys to better assess status and guide conservation planning.

The Hispid Hare has coarse, bristly, dark brown to blackish-brown fur mixed with black and buff hairs, giving it a rough-textured coat. It has relatively short ears and legs compared to typical hares, along with a stocky, robust body shape more similar to a rabbit.

Size

Body length ranges from approximately 38 to 50 cm

Weight

Typically weighs between 1.5 and 2.7 kg

Distinctive features

Distinguished from other hares by its notably short ears, short hind legs, and coarse bristle-like fur texture, which is unusual among lagomorphs. Its overall body shape and dentition also differ enough from Lepus species to warrant its own genus.

The Hispid Hare is largely solitary and secretive, rarely observed in groups. It maintains individual home ranges within suitable grassland patches and shows limited social interaction outside of breeding.

When it is active

Primarily crepuscular and nocturnal, becoming active during dawn, dusk, and nighttime hours to avoid predators and human disturbance, while resting in dense grass cover during the day.

Diet

Herbivorous, feeding mainly on grasses, shoots, roots, and bark of grassland plant species, including species like Saccharum and Imperata grasses. It may also consume agricultural crops when adjacent to grassland habitat.

Communication

Communication is not well studied but likely includes scent marking and limited vocalizations typical of lagomorphs, along with body posture signals for detecting predators.

Interactions with other species

Natural predators likely include birds of prey, jackals, and small wild cats found in Terai grasslands. It may also compete with other small mammals and rodents for food and shelter within grassland habitats.

Role in its ecosystem

As a herbivore, it plays a role in grassland ecosystem dynamics through grazing pressure, and serves as prey for various mesopredators, contributing to local food web structure in the Terai grassland ecosystem.

Breeding season is believed to occur mainly in the cooler months, though details remain poorly studied. Gestation is estimated around 30 days, with litters typically small, comprising just a few young.

Raising the young

Parental care is presumed to be maternal, with the female raising young in a concealed nest within dense grass cover, though detailed behavioral studies are lacking due to the species' elusive nature.

Maturity and lifespan

Sexual maturity is estimated to occur within the first year of life, though detailed data is scarce. Lifespan in the wild is unknown but likely similar to other small lagomorphs, potentially 2-5 years.

Classification

Class Mammalia > Order Lagomorpha > Family Leporidae > Genus Caprolagus > Species Caprolagus hispidus

Scientific synonyms

Lepus hispidus (original combination by Pearson, 1839)

Recent studies

Recent camera-trap and field surveys in Nepal's Shuklaphanta and Chitwan National Parks have helped refine understanding of its distribution and habitat preferences, highlighting the critical importance of periodic grassland burning management for its survival.

Compared with similar species

Compared to more widespread hares like the Indian Hare (Lepus nigricollis), the Hispid Hare has shorter ears, a stockier body, coarser fur, and far more restricted, specialized habitat requirements, making it far more vulnerable to habitat change.

Despite being called a 'hare,' its short ears and legs make it look more like a rabbit. It was once thought possibly extinct in the mid-20th century before being rediscovered in the 1970s. It is one of the rarest and least-studied mammals in South Asia.

Where and how to see it

Best chances of observation are in protected grassland areas such as Manas National Park in India or Shuklaphanta National Park in Nepal, particularly during early morning or evening hours in the cooler winter months when grasslands are less overgrown after controlled burns.

Risks to humans

No notable risk to humans

Human uses

Historically hunted for meat by local communities in parts of its range, though this practice is now illegal and discouraged due to its endangered status.