Pedetes surdaster
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The East African springhare (Pedetes surdaster) is an African mammal found in Kenya and Tanzania that is closely related to the South African springhare. It is a member of the Pedetidae, a rodent family, and resembles a small kangaroo.
Pedetes surdaster was recognised by Matthee and Robinson in 1997 as a species distinct from the southern African springhare (P. capensis) based on genetic, morphological, and ethological differences. P. capensis from South Africa has fewer chromosomes (2n= 38) than does P. surdaster which has (2n = 40) and some other genetic variations. The species was confirmed by Dieterlen in 2005.
Unlike P. capensis, the second and third cervical vertebrae are fused in this species. This species is found in central and southern Kenya and most of Tanzania. A single specimen has been recorded in Uganda near the Kenya border, at Mount Moroto. It is found from sea level up to an altitude over 2,000 m.
The East African springhare resembles a small kangaroo (a marsupial in the family Macropodidae of Oceania), and is about the size of a rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). It is mid-brown, has large erect ears, very short... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an East African Spring-hare sighting in Tarangire National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 30th most-seen of the 33 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February, June, August and October–November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an East African Spring-hare in Tarangire National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–May, July, September and December–January, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most East African Spring-hare sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Only Tarangire National Park, in our data
Tarangire National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate East African Spring-hare sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same order: Rodentia
The closest relatives of the East African Spring-hare that you can see in Tarangire National Park (order Rodentia, Rodents) are Unstriped Ground Squirrel (about 40%) and Ochre Bush Squirrel (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the East African Spring-hare is recorded against all the mammals logged in Tarangire National Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
