Lepus (Sabanalagus) microtis Heuglin 1865

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Lagomorpha, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 1, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 185-211 : 201

Lepus (Sabanalagus) microtis Heuglin 1865

Lepus (Sabanalagus) microtis Heuglin 1865 , Nova Acta Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol., Halle, 24 (Leopoldiana, 5): 32.

Type Locality: "Lande der Ridj," [Bahr-el-Ghazal, Sudan].

Vernacular Names: African Savanna Hare.

Subspecies: :

Subspecies Lepus microtis subsp. microtis Heuglin 1865

Subspecies Lepus microtis subsp. angolensis Thomas 1904

Subspecies Lepus microtis subsp. senegalensis Rochebrune 1883

Subspecies Lepus microtis subsp. whytei Thomas 1894

Distribution: From Atlantic coast of NW Africa ( Senegal, south to Guinea and Sierra Leone) eastward across Sahel to Sudan and extreme W Ethiopia; southward through E Africa (E Republic of Congo, W Kenya) to NE Namibia, Botswana, and KwaZulu-Natal ( South Africa). Small isolated population in W Algeria.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc); isolated population around Beni Abbés, Algeria, "deserve[s] attention" ( Flux and Angermann, 1990).

Discussion: Placed (as crawshayi ) in subgenus Proeulagus by Gureev (1964), and in subgenus Sabanalagus by Averianov (1998). Gureev recognized both crawshayi and whytei as distinct species, as did Azzaroli-Puccetti (1987 a). Formerly included in saxatilis ; see comments under that species. This species has been known under several different names ( saxatilis , crawshayi , whytei, victoriae , and now microtis ). Angermann and Feiler (1988) thought that the oldest available name for this species was victoriae Thomas, 1893 , but apparently did not consider microtus Heuglin 1865. The species is widely sympatric with capensis , but allo- to parapatric with saxatilis (which is also sympatric with capensis sensu stricto), and with the small L. habessinicus .