Mammals crepuscular

Hewitt's Red Rockhare

Pronolagus saundersiae

The Hewitt's Red Rockhare is the ghost of the Southern African highlands, a specialized survivor that thrives where most mammals wouldn't dare to hop. With its dense rufous fur and incredible leaping ability, it is the undisputed master of the rocky krans.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Length: 38-45 cm (15-18 inches); Weight: 1.35-2.5 kg (3-5.5 lbs)

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Colors

Densely furred with grizzled rufous and brown upperparts, paler buff-colored underparts, and a thick reddish tail often featuring a dark tip.

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Key Features

Dense, woolly reddish-brown fur
Short, rounded ears with dark margins
Bushy rufous tail
Stocky, powerful hindquarters built for leaping between rocks

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern crepuscular

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Peak hours 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM and 4:00 AM - 6:00 AM

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Season Year-round

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Diet Primarily a grazer, they feed on tender new growth of fine grasses and occasionally browse on succulents or small shrubs found near their rocky retreats.

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Habitat High-elevation rocky slopes, boulder-strewn hillsides (koppies), and mountain plateaus with nearby grazing patches.

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Behavior

Hewitt's Red Rockhares are remarkably agile and secretive mammals that spend their days hidden within deep rock crevices or under thick brush. Unlike the more common scrub hares that inhabit open fields, these specialists rely on their powerful legs to leap between boulders and disappear into inaccessible cliff faces (kranses) at the first sign of danger.

While largely solitary, they are known to use communal latrines, which serve as important social hubs for scent marking and communication within a local population. They are most active during the cooler hours of twilight and the night, cautiously emerging from their rocky fortresses to graze on nearby grasses and herbs. They are extremely wary of predators and humans alike, making them a high-value find for trail camera enthusiasts in mountainous regions.

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Camera Tips

To successfully capture a Hewitt's Red Rockhare, you need to locate their 'highway.' These hares are creatures of habit and frequently use the same paths to move between their rocky sleeping quarters and their grazing patches. Look for 'middens'—distinctive communal latrine areas where round droppings accumulate. Placing your camera near these sites is the most reliable way to guarantee a sighting, as they return to these locations for scent marking.

Position your camera low to the ground, ideally between 15 to 25 centimeters (6 to 10 inches) high. Aim the lens to look across a flat ledge or a gap between two large boulders. Because these animals are most active during the low-light transitions of dawn and dusk, make sure your camera's PIR (passive infrared) sensor sensitivity is set to high. This ensures the camera triggers even when the temperature difference between the hare and the sun-warmed rocks is minimal.

Since these hares are incredibly fast and prone to sudden 'jinking' movements, a camera with a fast trigger speed—ideally 0.4 seconds or less—is vital. Set your camera to 'Burst Mode' or 'Photo + Video' mode to capture multiple frames; this helps ensure at least one clear shot of the animal’s face or tail before it disappears into the shadows. During the dry winter months, a small source of moisture or a patch of green grass near a rocky outcrop can act as a powerful natural attractant for your camera setup.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Hewitt's Red Rockhare.

Smith's Red Rockhare

Very similar in appearance but generally found at lower elevations and has slightly different vocalizations and genetic markers.

Scrub Hare

Much longer ears, longer legs, and a black-and-white tail; prefers open grasslands rather than rocky terrain.

Natal Red Rockhare

Larger than Hewitt's and possesses a more robust skull and darker rufous coloration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hewitt's Red Rockhares are primarily crepuscular, meaning they are most active during the 'golden hours' of dawn and dusk. However, they are also frequently active throughout the night, especially during a full moon when visibility is higher for grazing.

If you live near rocky hills or mountain slopes, you can attract Hewitt's Red Rockhare by maintaining natural rocky outcrops on your property and avoiding the use of pesticides on nearby grasses. They are naturally wary, so providing 'corridors' of thick brush that lead to rocky cover will make them feel safe enough to visit.

They are herbivores that specialize in grazing. Their diet consists mostly of fine grasses found at the base of cliffs and between rocks, but they will also supplement this with the leaves of small shrubs and succulents during dry periods.

They are generally not found in flat suburban landscapes. However, they are common in 'fringe' suburban areas—neighborhoods that are built directly onto rocky hillsides or ridges in South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini.

You can distinguish Hewitt's Red Rockhare by its habitat and tail. While scrub hares prefer open flats and have long ears, the Hewitt's has shorter, rounded ears and a thick, bushy reddish tail. Additionally, if the hare bolts toward a rock pile rather than across an open field, it is almost certainly a rockhare.

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