Lagomorphs &
Hyraxes
Mammaculture
Pensacola Jr College
Classification
w Order Lagomorpha (rabbits,
hares, and pikas)
• Family Leporidae (rabbits
and hares)
• Family Ochotonidae (pikas)
w Order Hyracoidea (hyraxes)
Order Lagomorpha
w Under 15 lbs
w 4 upper/ 2 lower incisors
grow continuously, 2nd set of uppers small and behind 1st
w No canines, diastema, 10-12
upper / 10 lower cheek teeth
w Transverse jaw action
w Fenestrated anterior skull
Order Lagomorpha
(cont’d)
w Hairy soles on feet
w Completely herbivorous
(hindgut fermentation + coprophagy)
w Typically have cyclical
populations (dramatic boom and bust)
Lagomorph Skulls
Family Leporidae
w Range: worldwide (evolved or
introduced) on land
w Physical characteristics:
• Long ears
• Short tail
• Adaptations for jumping,
including moveable joint in front of occipital bone
w 1-9 young, several
litters/yr
Eastern cottontail
rabbit
Brown hare
Family Ochotonidae
w Range: Asia, North America
(west coast)
w Physical characteristics:
• Less than one pound
• Shorter round ears
• No tail
w Highly vocal
Ochotonidae
(cont’d)
w Live in burrows or rocky
areas
w Some species solitary,
pair-bonded, or colonial
w Gestation 22 days, 3-13
young, 3-4 litters each Spring, high casualty rate
w Cache food for winter
Alpine Pika
Pika hay pile
Order Hyracoidea
w Evolutionary relationship:
Orders Proboscidea and Sirenia (there was a species the size of a tapir!)
w Convergent relationship:
w Orders Rodentia and
Lagomorpha
Hyracoidea
(cont’d)
w Range: Africa
w Physical characteristics:
• 5-10 lbs
• Small round ears
• No tail
• 2 upper (dagger-like) and 4
lower (chisel) incisors, used for defense only!
Hyracoidea
(cont’d)
w Physical characteristics:
• No canines, large diastema,
14 upper/14 lower cheek teeth, turn head to use them to gnaw
• Naked foot soles, suction
design with sticky sweat glands
• Nails on all toes except 2
grooming claws
• Dorsal gland
Hyracoidea
(cont’d)
w Highly territorial,
defensive, vocal
w Live with mongoose/baboons
w Some species nocturnal/
solitary, some diurnal/ single male colonies
w 7-8 m gestation, 1-3 young,
mature at 16 m, lifespan 12 y
Rock hyrax skull
Rock hyrax
On the defensive
Tree hyrax
Hyrax foot