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Leporidae

From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids

Rabbits and hares[1]
Mountain Hare (Lepus timidus)
Mountain Hare (Lepus timidus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Lagomorpha
Family: Leporidae
Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
Genera

Pentalagus
Bunolagus
Nesolagus
Romerolagus
Brachylagus
Sylvilagus
Oryctolagus
Poelagus
Caprolagus
Pronolagus
Lepus

Leporids are the approximately 50 species of rabbits and hares which form the family Leporidae. The leporids, together with the pikas, comprise the lagomorphs, one of the orders of mammals. Leporids differ from pikas in having short furry tails, and elongated ears and hind legs. The name leporid is derived from Latin leporis, genitive of lepus, a hare.

Members of all genera except Lepus are usually referred to as rabbits, while members of Lepus (which accounts for almost half the species) are usually called hares. However the distinction between these two common names does not map completely into current taxonomy, since the jackrabbits are members of Lepus, and members of the genera Pronolagus and Caprolagus are sometimes called hares.

Leporids are native across the world except in Oceania where their introduction is an important threat for the native mammals in Australia.

[edit] Classification

Family Leporidae:[1] rabbits and hares

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Hoffmann, Robert S., Andrew T. Smith (November 16, 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds) Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 194-211. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.

Citation Help

APA Style: Reference List

Encyclopedia Jr (2007). Leporidae. Retrieved May 27, 2012, from http://www.encyclopediajr.com/wikiarticle/l/e/p/leporidae.

MLA Style: Works Cited Page

"Leporidae." Encyclopedia Jr. 2007. 27 May 2012 <http://www.encyclopediajr.com/wikiarticle/l/e/p/leporidae>.


This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article leporidae.


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