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Animal Themes
Mammals
Grasslands

Springhares

Springhares
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   4.57

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    beetles, bounding, gestation, hoof-like, meaty, over-hunting, rodent, springhare, springhares, squirrel-like, imagine, mates, natural, pregnant, strange-looking, type

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Springhares
By Vickie Chao 		  
1     Can you imagine a type of squirrel-like rodent that looks like a rabbit? Can you also imagine that it hops like a kangaroo? This is not an imaginary animal. It actually exists! This strange-looking rodent is called the springhare. It lives on the grasslands in Africa.
 
2     The springhare has a long body and an even longer tail. It measures about 32 inches in length. Slightly more than half of that is its bushy tail. It weighs up to 9 pounds. This animal wears a soft fur coat with colors ranging from reddish-brown to light gray. The tip of its tail is black. Like a kangaroo, the springhare has two short front limbs and two large, strong hind legs. Each of its short front limbs has five sharp claws, perfect for digging dirt. And each of its large, strong hind legs has four hoof-like toes with claws, perfect for hopping around. The springhare has two ways of moving about. Sometimes, it lopes on all fours. Sometimes, it bounds on its two hind legs. By bounding, it can cover about 6 and half feet in a single jump. That makes it one of the best jumping rodents in the world!
 
3     The springhare is mostly active at night. During the day, it likes to hide in its burrow (underground home). After the sun goes down and darkness begins to cover the landscape, it comes out to search for food. The springhare is not a picky eater. So on its dinner menu, there could be vegetable dishes, such as seeds and bulbs. There could also be meaty ones, such as locusts and beetles. Interestingly, the springhare does not drink water. It gets its moisture from rain, dew, or the food it eats. After filling its stomach with all sorts of tasty treats, the springhare goes back home and gets ready to sleep. Its favorite napping position is to rest on its haunches, tuck its head between its hind legs, and wrap its tail around the whole body.

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