Tolai (sandstone) hare and Manchurian hare. Tolai hare (Lepus tolai) Types of hares, names and photos
Sometimes included as a subspecies in the Cape hare (Lepus capensis).
Appearance
A small hare appearance resembling a small hare: body length 39-55 cm, weight 1.5-2.8 kg. The ears and legs are long, in relative size even longer than those of the hare. The length of the wedge-shaped tail is 7.5-11.6 cm, the length of the ear is 8.3-11.9 cm. The feet of the hind legs are quite narrow, allowing them to move along deep snow this hare is not fit. The color of the fur, in general, resembles the color of a light brown hare, but the fur does not have the characteristic wavy nature. Summer fur is gray with a brownish or ocher tinge; alternation of dark and light guard hairs creates pronounced fine shading. The head is dark, the throat and belly are white; the tail is dark on top, with a brush of coarse white hair at the end. The ears have dark tips. Winter fur is slightly lighter than summer fur, with pronounced streaks. Tolay sheds in spring and autumn. Spring molting begins in February-March and continues until May-June; autumn in different parts The range lasts from September to December. Due to the significant scattering of habitats, the timing of molting can be greatly extended. There are 48 chromosomes in the karyotype.
_2.jpg)
Spreading
Lives in deserts, semi-deserts and mountains Central Asia(Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan), Kazakhstan, Southern Siberia and Transbaikalia, Mongolia and Northeast China. The northern border of the range runs approximately 48° N. w. On the territory of Russia, the range consists of several isolated areas in the dry steppes and mountains of Southern Siberia from Altai, Chui steppe, southern Buryatia and the Chita region to the Upper Amur basin. In addition, it is occasionally found in the northeastern Caspian region, in the south Astrakhan region.
_areal.png)
Habitats
The most typical habitats are deserts and semi-deserts. It settles both on the plains and in the mountains, where it rises to 3000 m above sea level. m. (central Tien Shan, Pamir). Prefers sheltered places with shrubby and tall herbaceous vegetation, including hilly sands with thickets of saxaul, sand acacia and tamarisk, inter-hillock ravines, river and lake valleys, and tugai forests. Found on irrigated lands. In the mountains it lives along river valleys, in mountain steppes, and along the edges of forests. In the mountain forest belt, the most favorable conditions for it are in juniper and walnut-fruit forests. It gravitates towards bodies of water, although it can go without water for a long time. Rare in clayey deserts, salt marshes and barren takyrs. On the territory of Russia, the tolai hare is found in dry steppes overgrown with shrubs (karagana, chii), with rock outcrops or scatterings of stones. It is very typical for river valleys and lake basins, where it lives along the outskirts of bush thickets. In some places it inhabits the edges of dry larch forests. In the Altai and Sayan Mountains it rises in the mountains to the alpine belt, where it also stays close to boulder screes.
Lifestyle
Tolay leads sedentary image life, making only short migrations associated with the search for food, reproduction, pressure from predators or unfavorable weather conditions. For example, snowy winters he moves to places with shallow snow cover, closer to settlements. After the establishment of deep snow cover in the mountains, tolai move down the slopes or make daily migrations to the valleys, where they feed in snow-free areas. In favorable conditions, the tolai constantly lives in the same area, within which it has several bedding areas and feeding (fattening) areas. The area of the individual plot is about 2 hectares. Lonely; It forms temporary groups of up to 30 individuals only during the rutting season and sometimes in winter in convenient habitats. It is active mainly at dusk and at night, but during periods of rutting and dispersal of young, it is also active during daylight hours. Sometimes it can feed during the day cloudy weather, especially in high mountain areas where it is less likely to be disturbed. The nests are arranged in holes 5-15 cm deep (less often up to 60), dug under the cover of bushes and stones; they are similar to the hare's beds, but slightly smaller in size. Sometimes it rests in abandoned holes of marmots, gophers, foxes, and turtles. Young animals often hide in rodent burrows. Tolai itself, as a rule, does not dig holes; exceptions are found in sandy deserts, where it digs shallow burrows about 50 cm long. Feeding places are sometimes located at a considerable distance from the bedding areas, and when going to feed, hares sometimes trample down clearly visible paths. Returning to its resting place, the tolai, like all hares, confuses its tracks.
Nutrition
By the nature of its feeding, the tolai is similar to the white hare. Its main food is the green parts of plants, as well as roots and bulbs. In spring it feeds on the roots and tubers of herbaceous plants and young grass; in deserts - succulent vegetative parts of ephemerals. In summer it feeds on a variety of herbaceous plants, preferring cereals and sedges, and less often eats wormwood. At the end of summer and autumn, seeds begin to play a noticeable role in nutrition; eats corn, barley and wheat in the fields. By winter it moves to young shoots and bark of various trees and shrubs. Tamarisk and chingil eat especially readily, whose branches, when the number of tolai are high, can be completely eaten over large areas. Less willing to eat branches of saxaul and sand acacia. In places where snow cover not tall, the tolai continues to feed on herbaceous plants, digging them out from under the snow.
Reproduction
The rut occurs in different parts of the range in different time: in deserts, valleys and foothills - in January - February and lasts until July, in mountainous and highland areas - from March to August. During the rut, 3-5 males run after the female, between whom there are fights, often accompanied by a piercing cry. On the territory of Russia, in the north of the range, tolays reproduce 1-2 times a year. The first rut here takes place at the end of February - March. Hares are born after 45-50 days, in April - early May, after which the second rut begins immediately. In Central Asia, the number of litters reaches 4 per year, and breeding ends in September. The number of hares in a litter is 1-9, in Russia it is usually 4-6; like other hares, the size of the litter depends on weather conditions, habitat, age of the female, etc. During the first lambing there are often 1-2 little hares, during the second and third - 3-5. Hares are born in a hole or shallow burrow; Females often occupy marmot burrows under their brood burrows. Newborns (weighing 85-110 g) are sighted, covered with thick fur and a dark stripe on the back. The growth and development of tolay cubs is similar to the development of brown hares cubs. Tolai hares become sexually mature the following year, at the age of 6-8 months.
Scientific classification:
Order - Lagomorpha / Family - Lagoraceae / Genus - Hares
History of the study
The tolai hare, or talai, or tulai, or sandstone (lat. Lepus tolai) is a mammal of the genus of hares of the order Lagomorpha. Sometimes included is the Cape hare (Lepus capensis).
Appearance
A medium-sized hare, resembling a small hare in appearance: body length 39-55 cm, weight 1.5-2.8 kg. The ears and legs are long, in relative size even longer than those of the hare. The length of the wedge-shaped tail is 7.5-11.6 cm, the length of the ear is 8.3-11.9 cm. The feet of the hind legs are quite narrow; this hare is not adapted to walking in deep snow. The color of the fur, in general, resembles the color of a light brown hare, but the fur does not have the characteristic wavy nature. Summer fur is gray with a brownish or ocher tinge; alternation of dark and light guard hairs creates pronounced fine shading. The head is dark, the throat and belly are white; the tail is dark on top, with a brush of coarse white hair at the end. The ears have dark tips. Winter fur is slightly lighter than summer fur, with pronounced streaks. Tolay sheds in spring and autumn. Spring molting begins in February-March and continues until May-June; autumn in different parts of the range lasts from September to December. Due to the significant scattering of habitats, the timing of molting can be greatly extended. There are 48 chromosomes in the karyotype.
Spreading
The tolai hare lives in cold and hot deserts, distributed in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, China, Russia, northwestern India, northeastern Iran, Afghanistan, northeastern Africa and Arabia.
Reproduction
Tolai breed three times a year. The rut begins in early January. From three to five males fight for one female, whose fights are accompanied by a piercing cry. Pregnant bunnies behave extremely carefully and do not go far to feed. Their pregnancy lasts about 45 days. Hares are born covered in wool and sighted, their weight ranges from 65 to 95 grams. The smallest is the first litter, in which no more than two hares are often born. In the next two litters, the number of rabbits born can range from three to eight. The hares spend the first days after birth together, but soon disperse. At the age of six to eight months, the rabbits become adults and leave the mother hare forever.
Lifestyle
The most typical habitats are deserts and semi-deserts. It settles both on the plains and in the mountains, where it rises to 3000 m above sea level. m. (central Tien Shan, Pamir). Prefers sheltered places with shrubby and tall herbaceous vegetation, including hilly sands with thickets of saxaul, sand acacia and tamarisk, inter-hillock ravines, river and lake valleys, and tugai forests. Found on irrigated lands. In the mountains it lives along river valleys, in mountain steppes, and along the edges of forests. In the mountain forest belt, the most favorable conditions for it are in juniper and walnut-fruit forests. It gravitates towards bodies of water, although it can go without water for a long time. Rare in clayey deserts, salt marshes and barren takyrs. On the territory of Russia, the tolai hare is found in dry steppes overgrown with shrubs (karagana, chii), with rock outcrops or scatterings of stones. It is very typical for river valleys and lake basins, where it lives along the outskirts of bush thickets. In some places it inhabits the edges of dry larch forests. In the Altai and Sayan Mountains it rises in the mountains to the alpine belt, where it also stays close to boulder screes.
Tolai leads a sedentary lifestyle, making only short migrations associated with the search for food, reproduction, pressure from predators or unfavorable weather conditions. For example, in snowy winters it moves to places with shallow snow cover, closer to populated areas. After the establishment of deep snow cover in the mountains, tolai move down the slopes or make daily migrations to the valleys, where they feed in snow-free areas. In favorable conditions, the tolai constantly lives in the same area, within which it has several bedding areas and feeding (fattening) areas. The area of the individual plot is about 2 hectares. Lonely; It forms temporary groups of up to 30 individuals only during the rutting season and sometimes in winter in convenient habitats. It is active mainly at dusk and at night, but during periods of rutting and dispersal of young, it is also active during daylight hours. Sometimes it can feed during the day in cloudy weather, especially in high mountain areas, where it is less likely to be disturbed. The nests are arranged in holes 5-15 cm deep (less often up to 60), dug under the cover of bushes and stones; they are similar to the hare's beds, but slightly smaller in size. Sometimes it rests in abandoned holes of marmots, gophers, foxes, and turtles. Young animals often hide in rodent burrows. The tolai itself, as a rule, does not dig holes; exceptions are found in sandy deserts, where it digs shallow holes about 50 cm long. Feeding places are sometimes located at a considerable distance from the bedding areas, and when going to feed, hares sometimes trample down clearly visible paths. Returning to its resting place, the tolai, like all hares, confuses its tracks.
Nutrition
In the summer, they eat various herbaceous plants, preferring sedges and cereals; the roots of herbs and plant bulbs, and sometimes wormwood, are also often eaten by tolai. In autumn, the tolay's diet is dominated by branches and bark of bushes and trees. Most often these are chingil and comb. That is why when mass reproduction tolaev, one of the ways to combat it is to destroy these plants within fairly large areas. Hares completely eat branches whose thickness does not exceed 1 centimeter, and only gnaw off the bark of the rest. In winter, the main food of the tolai hare is wormwood and flowers of shrubs.
Typically, tolai feed at night and spend the day lying down. But in high mountain areas you can see hares feeding during daylight hours or at dusk.
Number
Tolai hare and man
Tolay is a hunting and commercial species. Previously, it was mined not only for its meat, but also for its fur, which was mainly used in the felt industry. In a number of places it damages cereal crops, melons and sand-protecting plantings. In Transbaikalia it is under protection.
Appearance
A small hare, resembling a small hare in appearance: body length 39-55 cm, weight 1.5-2.8 kg. The ears and legs are long, in relative size even longer than those of the hare. The length of the wedge-shaped tail is 7.5-11.6 cm, the length of the ear is 8.3-11.9 cm. The feet of the hind legs are quite narrow; this hare is not adapted to walking in deep snow. The color of the fur, in general, resembles the color of a light brown hare, but the fur does not have the characteristic waviness. Summer fur is gray with a brownish or ocher tinge; alternation of dark and light guard hairs creates pronounced fine shading. The head is dark, the throat and belly are white; the tail is dark on top, with a brush of coarse white hair at the end. The ears have dark tips. Winter fur is slightly lighter than summer fur, with pronounced streaks. Tolay sheds in spring and autumn. Spring molting begins in February-March and continues until May-June; autumn in different parts of the range lasts from September to December. Due to the significant scattering of habitats, the timing of molting can be greatly extended. There are 48 chromosomes in the karyotype.
Spreading
It lives in deserts, semi-deserts and mountains of Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan), Kazakhstan, Southern Siberia and Transbaikalia, Mongolia and Northeast China. The northern border of the range runs approximately 48° N. w. In Russia, the range consists of several isolated areas in the dry steppes and mountains of Southern Siberia from Altai, Chuya steppe, southern Buryatia and Chita region to the upper Amur basin. In addition, it is occasionally found in the northeastern Caspian region, in the south of the Astrakhan region.
Lifestyle
The most typical habitats are deserts and semi-deserts. It settles both on the plains and in the mountains, where it rises to 3000 m above sea level. m. (central Tien Shan, Pamir). Prefers protected places with shrubby and tall herbaceous vegetation, including hilly sands with thickets of saxaul, sand acacia and tamarisk, inter-hillock ravines, river and lake valleys, tugai forests. Found on irrigated lands. In the mountains it lives along river valleys, in mountain steppes, and along the edges of forests. In the mountain forest belt, the most favorable conditions for it are in juniper and walnut-fruit forests. It gravitates towards bodies of water, although it can go without water for a long time. Rare in clayey deserts, salt marshes and barren takyrs. On the territory of Russia, the tolai hare is found in dry steppes overgrown with shrubs (karagana, chii), with rock outcrops or scatterings of stones. It is very typical for river valleys and lake basins, where it lives along the outskirts of bush thickets. In some places it inhabits the edges of dry larch forests. In the Altai and Sayan Mountains it rises in the mountains to the alpine belt, where it also stays close to boulder screes.
Tolai leads a sedentary lifestyle, making only short migrations associated with the search for food, reproduction, pressure from predators or unfavorable weather conditions. For example, in snowy winters it moves to places with shallow snow cover, closer to populated areas. After the establishment of deep snow cover in the mountains, tolai move down the slopes or make daily migrations to the valleys, where they feed in snow-free areas. In favorable conditions, the tolai constantly lives in the same area, within which it has several bedding areas and feeding (fattening) areas. The area of the individual plot is about 2 hectares. Lonely; It forms temporary groups of up to 30 individuals only during the rutting season and sometimes in winter in convenient habitats. It is active mainly at dusk and at night, but during periods of rutting and dispersal of young, it is also active during daylight hours. Sometimes it can feed during the day in cloudy weather, especially in high mountain areas, where it is less likely to be disturbed. The nests are arranged in holes 5-15 cm deep (less often up to 60), dug under the cover of bushes and stones; they are similar to hare's beds, but slightly smaller in size. Sometimes it rests in abandoned burrows of marmots, gophers, foxes, and turtles. Young animals often hide in rodent burrows. The tolai itself, as a rule, does not dig holes; exceptions are found in sandy deserts, where it digs shallow holes about 50 cm long. Feeding places are sometimes located at a considerable distance from the bedding areas, and when going to feed, hares sometimes trample down clearly visible paths. Returning to its resting place, the tolai, like all hares, confuses its tracks.
Nutrition
In terms of its feeding habits, the tolai is similar to the white hare. Its main food is the green parts of plants, as well as roots and bulbs. In spring it feeds on the roots and tubers of herbaceous plants and young grass; in deserts - succulent vegetative parts of ephemerals. In summer it feeds on a variety of herbaceous plants, preferring cereals and sedges, and less often eats wormwood. At the end of summer and autumn, seeds begin to play a noticeable role in nutrition; eats corn, barley and wheat in the fields. By winter it moves to young shoots and bark of various trees and shrubs. The tamarisk, chingil, is especially readily eaten, whose branches, with a high number of tolai, are completely eaten over large areas. Less willing to eat branches of saxaul and sand acacia. In places where the snow cover is low, the tolai continues to feed on herbaceous plants, digging them out from under the snow.
Reproduction
Young tolai hare
The rut occurs in different parts of the range at different times: in deserts, valleys and foothills - in January - February and lasts until July, in mountainous and highland areas - from March to August. During the rut, 3-5 males run after the female, between whom there are fights, often accompanied by a piercing cry. On the territory of Russia, in the north of the range, tolays reproduce 1-2 times a year. The first rut here takes place at the end of February - March. Hares are born after 45-50 days, in April - early May, after which the second rut begins immediately. In Central Asia, the number of litters reaches 4 per year, and breeding ends in September. The number of hares in a litter is 1-9, in Russia it is usually 4-6; like other hares, the size of the litter depends on weather conditions, habitat, age of the female, etc. During the first lambing, there are often 1-2 little hares, during the second and third - 3-5. Hares are born in a hole or shallow burrow; Females often occupy marmot burrows under their brood burrows. Newborns (weighing 85-110 g) are sighted, covered with thick fur and a dark stripe on the back. The growth and development of tolay cubs is similar to the development of brown hares cubs. Tolai hares become sexually mature the following year, at the age of 6-8 months.
Number and significance for humans
Tolay is a hunting and commercial species. Previously, it was mined not only for its meat, but also for its fur, which was mainly used in the felt industry. In a number of places it damages cereal crops, melons and sand-protecting plantings. In Transbaikalia it is under protection.
Notes
Links
- Mammals of the fauna of Russia and adjacent territories: Cape hare
Categories:
- Animals in alphabetical order
- Species out of danger
- Hares
- Animals described in 1778
- Invasive animal species
- Mammals of Asia
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
A medium-sized hare, in appearance reminiscent of a reduced hare. Body length 39-55 cm, weight 1.5-2.5 kg. The color of the fur varies among animals living in different territories, but in general it resembles the color of a light hare. However, the thick fur does not have the waviness characteristic of the hare. The tail is dark on top. The ears and legs are long, relative to their size, even longer than those of the hare. The outer edge of the ear does not have a black border. Colored slightly lighter in winter than in summer
On the territory of Russia, the range of the tolay consists of several isolated areas occupying the dry steppes and mountains of southern Siberia from Altai to the Upper Amur basin. In addition, it can be found in the northern Caspian region, in the south of the Astrakhan region.
The distribution of this hare among habitats largely depends on the availability of shelters in them. On the territory of Russia, the tolai hare lives mainly in dry steppes, usually in places where shrub vegetation (caragana, chii) is present, there are rock outcrops or scatterings of stones. It is very typical for river valleys and lake basins overgrown with dense bushes, where it lives mainly along the outskirts of the thickets. In some places it inhabits the edges of dry larch forests. In the mountains of Altai and the Sayan Mountains it rises to the alpine belt; here the tolai also lives near boulder screes, near lakes and in the valleys of rivers and streams.
Under suitable conditions, the tolai constantly lives in the same area, within which there are several bedding areas and fattening areas. But when feeding conditions worsen, for example, during heavy snowfalls, local movements may occur to places with shallow snow, to populated areas, etc.
Tolai are active mainly at dusk and at night, but during the rutting season they are also active during daylight hours. They may also feed during the day in cloudy weather, especially in areas where they are not disturbed. For lying down, it usually digs a small hole or shallow hole near a bush, on a slope or under a stone. Such beds are similar to hare beds, but slightly smaller in size. In the habitats of marmots, it often rests in their abandoned burrows, and occasionally in pre-expanded gopher burrows. Feeding places are sometimes located at a considerable distance from shelters, and in such cases, when going to feed, hares trample down clearly visible paths. Returning to their resting place, tolai, like other species of hares, confuse their tracks. When raised from its rest, it, however, does not circle, but runs in a straight line and again hides in a suitable shelter. On the territory of Russia, the basis of the tolai’s diet both in summer and winter are herbaceous plants, since there is usually no snow cover in its habitat high. Often digs roots, rhizomes and bulbs out of the ground. At the end of summer and autumn, seeds play a significant role in nutrition. Branches and bark of bushes and trees are eaten only when there is a lack of basic food.
Sexual maturity occurs the following year after birth. On the territory of Russia, at the northern limits of their distribution, tolai breed 1-2 times a year. The first rut takes place at the end of February - March. Its duration is usually extended due to the fact that females enter into reproduction at different times. of different ages. Hares are born after 45-50 days, in April - early May, and in May the second rut is usually observed. The number of hares in a litter is 1-9, in Russia it is usually 4-6. Like other hares, the size of the Tolai brood depends on weather conditions, the age of the female, etc. The young hares are born in a shelter specially arranged by the hare - a hole or a shallow burrow with a bedding of grass. Often “nests” are made in old marmot burrows. Tolai newborns are sighted, their body is covered with fur, and there is a noticeable fur on their back. dark stripe Their growth and development is similar to the development of brown hares.
As a rule, tolai molt in spring from March to May, and in autumn from September to November. However, due to the significant scattering of habitats by height, the timing of molting can be greatly extended. The sequence of fur changes is generally the same as that of other hares.
The tracks of the tolay are similar to the tracks of the hare, but noticeably smaller in size. Their droppings are also similar, differing only in size. When feeding on underground parts of plants, it leaves characteristic digs.
Tolai hare, talai, tulai or sandstone (from the Latin Lepus tolai) [animal kingdom > phylum chordates > class mammals > infraclass placentals > order lagomorphs] - a mammal, a representative of the family Lagoreidae.
This species lives in Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan), in desert, semi-desert or mountainous areas. This type of hare can also be found in Southern Siberia, Transbaikalia, Mongolia and some regions of China. On the territory of Russia, tolai hares live only in Buryatia, Altai, the Chui steppe and the Astrakhan region.
Outwardly, these hares are not very large, especially compared to hare. Body length reaches from 39 to 55 cm; weight can reach 1.5-2.5 kg. At the same time, the ears and tail are longer than those of the hare: the length of the ears is 8.3-11.9 cm, the length of the tail is 7.5-11.6 cm. The paws are quite narrow, so they are not adapted to move through deep snow. The coloring also has many similarities with the coloring of hare, but in the fat hare it is more uniform. Summer fur gray with an ocher touch. The fur on the head, ears and tail always remains dark, while on the belly and throat it is white.
Like all other types of hares, the tolai hare molts twice a year: in spring and autumn. The molting period can vary significantly from year to year, due to weather conditions and habitat. But generally speaking, the spring molt lasts from the end of February to the beginning of June, and the winter molt lasts from September to December.
Representatives of this species of hares live mainly in flat areas - deserts and semi-deserts. 
But in Central Asia they can be found in quite high mountains- 3000 m above sea level. For permanent habitat, tolai choose plains that have a small number of trees or shrubs that serve them as shelters. The most favorable places for tolai to live are those located near the rises. The tolai hare leads a sedentary lifestyle and practically does not migrate; the only cases in which it can migrate is a lack of food or a sharp deterioration in weather conditions. For example, in winter they get quite close to populated areas, or if they are mountain dwellers, then they descend from the mountains for the winter. These hares live solitarily, although sometimes they can gather in quite large groups- up to 30 individuals, the territory of which will be enough for the life of one individual to be equal to only two hectares.
Tolai feeds mainly at night, in the same places. Unlike other species of hares, the tolai itself very rarely digs holes, although even if it does, it is very shallow - up to 50 cm. More often they find refuge in abandoned holes of other animals - foxes, marmots, gophers or turtles. The diet of the tolay hare also has much in common with the diet of the brown hare. They prefer herbaceous plants, seeds, roots and bulbs various plants. 
Tolai can also eat cereals and cultivated plants: corn, wheat and barley. in winter most The diet consists of solid food, such as bark and shoots of trees and shrubs. Due to the fact that the snow cover in the Tolai habitat is very shallow, it does not stop searching for the remains of plants under the snow.
Tolai breeds a little less frequently than other types of hares - only 1-2 times a year, although sometimes it happens 4 times a year. On average, a female hare brings from 1 to 9 rabbits. The weight of Tolai hares at birth reaches 85-110 g, they are also sighted and covered with thick fur. At first they feed on their mother’s milk, and after a few weeks they feed on herbaceous plants completely independently. Rabbits reach sexual maturity at 6-8 months.
Today, hares of this subspecies are quite widespread in Asia and there are no reasons for the population decline.