The ears are thinly haired on the upper half and naked inside, with a tragus that folds backward and closes the opening to the ear, thus keeping out sand when the animal is digging. The front toes have five long, sharp, curved claws used for digging. The hind feet have four toes, the claws of which are wider than those of the forefeet and somewhat resemble small hoofs. The claw on the second toe from the inside is much larger than the others on the hind feet. In the lower trachea is a septum similar to that present in some birds and not found in other mammals.
Females have two pairs of mammae in the chest region.
The cheek teeth are rounded in outline, or nearly so, and rootless, with a simplified pattern of enamel prisms. The skull is massive, with the nasals extending beyond the premaxillary bones. The springhare inhabits dry, sandy soils in arid or semiarid country. It is terrestrial and fossorial and digs burrows for shelter and protection from predators. A pair of springhares may have several burrows and may occupy them on successive days.