(Pedetes capensis), a mammal of the order Rodentia. The jumping hare looks similar to the jerboa but is much larger, with body length reaching 35-43 cm and weight 4 kg. The body is covered with a silky fleece; the back is cinnamon brown, and the abdomen is nearly white. The rear legs are much longer than the front ones. It moves like a kangaroo, with long leaps reaching 2-3 m. Its long furry tail serves as ballast.

The jumping hare lives in the steppes and deserts of southern and eastern Africa. It is an evening and nocturnal animal, spending the day in burrows with complex underground passages. It often forms colonies. The jumping hare feeds on vegetation and at times insects. The young (never more than five) are born blind and nearly naked. The hare’s flesh is eaten and its pelt is also used.