Lepus (Proeulagus) capensis Linnaeus, 1758

Aidek, Ahmad E., Ibrahim, Amir, Amr, Zuhair, Hutterer, Rainer, Kryštufek, Boris, Serra, Gianluca, Benda, Petr, Shkaky, Yesra, Barbanera, Filippo & Al-Sheikhly, Omar F., 2025, Checklist of Mammals of Syria, Zootaxa 5580 (1), pp. 1-130 : 26

2. Cape Hare, Lepus (Proeulagus) capensis Linnaeus, 1758

( Fig. 5 )

(IUCN Red List: LC)

Subspecies: L. c. arabicus Ehrenberg, 1833.

Distribution: Uncertain status. Probably occurs in the Al-Badia south of Deir ez-Zor and ar-Raqqa southwestwards to Palmyra and to Sweida towards the Syrian eastern borders ( Fig. 6 ).

Previous records: Near Qattinah Lake ( Lewis et al. 1967), Buhayrat Al-Heijana ( Harrison 1972), Al-Qaryatein ( Shehab 2004a) and Palmyra ( Serra et al. 2009a).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Cape Hare Lepus (Proeulagus) capensis (front) and European Hare Lepus (Eulagos) europaeus (back) in captivity, Abu Khashab © Ahmad Aidek.

FIGURE 6. Records of the Cape Hare Lepus (Proeulagus) capensis Linnaeus, 1758 and the European Hare Lepus (Eulagos) europaeus Pallas, 1778 in Syria.