Want to know where and when to find Springhare? opspoor shows recent sightings across South Africa's parks and when each species is usually active.
Where to see Springhare in South Africa
About the Springhare
The springhare is a distinctive nocturnal rodent of southern and eastern Africa, adapted to open grassland and semi-arid environments. It has a compact body, extremely long powerful hind legs, short forelimbs and a long balancing tail, giving it a kangaroo-like appearance despite not being closely related to kangaroos. It feeds mainly on grasses, seeds, roots and other vegetation. Springhares are generally solitary and spend daylight hours sheltering in burrows before emerging at night to forage and make long bounding leaps.
How to identify the Springhare
Large, rabbit-like rodent with very long powerful hind legs, short forelegs, large eyes and long upright ears. The coat is sandy-brown to reddish-brown with a paler underside and a long bushy tail.
Did you know?
Springhares can make powerful leaps of several metres using their oversized hind legs and can move rapidly across open ground at night.
Also known as: Spring Hare, Springhaas
Planning a safari? Pick a park above to see when and where to look for Springhare, and log your own sightings in opspoor, even with no signal.