Lepus starcki Petter 1963
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Lagomorpha
Leporidae
Lepus
Lepus starcki

description: 39.
Ethiopian Highland Hare
Lepus starcki
French: Liévre de Starck / German: Athiopischer Hochlandhase / Spanish: Liebre de tierras altas de Etiopia
Other common names: Starck's Hare
Taxonomy. Lepus starcki Petter, 1963,
“Jeldu-Liban-Shoa, 2740 metres, 40 km W. Addis Abeba,” Ethiopia.
It was originally listed as a subspecies of L. capensis or L. europaeus but is now considered a distinct species. It has been suggested that L. starcki is a relict form of L. europaeus from the Pleistocene because of the similarity between their skulls. Monotypic.
Distribution. C highlands of Ethiopia, especially in the Mts of Arussi and Bale regions; it does not occur in the Ethiopian Rift Valley separating these mountain regions.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 440-560 mm, tail 82-115 mm, ear 100-120 mm, hindfoot 88-120 mm; weight 1.9-3 kg. The Ethiopian Highland Hare is medium-sized. Its fur color is generally dark. Dorsal pelage and head are buffy white and grizzled with dots and streaks of black. Flanks are paler, with lower flanks cinnamon-rufous. Ventral pelage is white and fluffy. Ears are of medium length, with their upper orie-quarter conspicuously black on inner and outer surface. In some individuals, black extends on inner margins of inner surfaces and on outer margins of outer surfaces to bases of ears. Chin is whitish, with tinge of cinnamon on lips. Nuchal patch is bright cinnamon or rufous. The Ethiopian Highland Hare has long forelimbs and hindlimbs that are whitish gray above and pale cinnamon and white below. Hindfeet are cinnamon-buff above and medium brown below. Tail is medium-sized and black above and white on sides and below;tail color is variable, with holotypes having pure white tails.
Habitat. Open highland habitats, especially rocky grasslands, at elevations of 2100-4400 m. The Ethiopian Highland Hare prefers wetland habitats during the dry season.
Food and Feeding. Based on fecal analysis, Ethiopian Highland Hares are highly selective for monocotyledons but eat some dicotyledons during the dry season. Festuca spp. (Poaceae) was the most available and important food among grasses. Koeleria capensis, Agrostis gracilifolia (both Poaceae), and Carex monostachya (Cyperaceae) were also eaten.
Breeding. One pregnant Ethiopian Highland Hare with one embryo and one lactating female were recorded in December. Reproduction would be expected to occur in the dry season.
Activity patterns. There is no information available forthis species.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Ethiopian Highland Hare is considered to be abundant within its Ethiopian distribution. No data are available on its population status, and conservation threats are unknown.
Bibliography. Angermann (1983), Azzaroli-Puccetti (1987a, 1987b), Boitani et al. (1999), Flux & Angermann (1990), Happold (2013c), Hoffmann & Smith (2005), Mekonnen et al. (2011), Smith & Johnston (2008e), Yalden et al. (1986).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Leporidae, pp. 107-148 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 131-132, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6625539