Hewitt's red rock hare (Pronolagus saundersiae) is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It is a medium-sized, densely-furred rufous and brown rabbit that behaves similarly to other red rock hares, with a preference for a higher-elevation rocky habitat. Previously classified as a subspecies of Smith's red rock hare (Pronolagus rupestris), it is now regarded as its own species.
Hewitt's red rock hare was named by John Hewitt (1880–1961), the director of the Albany Museum, South Africa. Hewitt originally described this taxon as a subspecies of Pronolagus crassicaudatus in his 1927 description. Its type locality was Grahamstown. He described this taxon based on skulls from Albany district, collected by Enid Saunders and Frank Bowker; the species is named after Saunders.
It was later classified as a subspecies of Pronolagus rupestris by various zoologists, including Ellerman, Morrison-Scott and Hayman, as well as Hoffman and Smith for the third edition of Mammal Species of the World.
Works which list it as its own species include the IUCN Red List, Mammals of Africa, and Jonathan Kingdon's field guide. It is regarded as its own species due to differences in morphology (specifically having a snout bone shorter than its frontal bone, compared to Smith's red rock hare) and genetic differences in cytochrome b and 12S rRNA from other members of Pronolagus.
Fossils of P. saundersiae are extremely sparse. Presence of its remains in archaeological studies are mentioned in lists of taxa found at a given site, but they are never described or illustrated. It has specifically appeared in localities dating back to the Late Pleistocene, but further study is warranted to clarify its first appearance.
P. saundersiae is a densely-furred, medium-sized (NaNkg (-2,147,483,648lb)) red rock hare that is largely brown with light rufous underparts and a sandy- to red-colored tail. Its sides are slightly lighter than its back in coloration, and its head is grayish-brown with grayish-white cheeks.
Hewitt's red rock hare is found in South Africa, Eswatini, and Lesotho. It specifically occurs in the South African provinces of Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as the western half of Eswatini and the entirety of Lesotho. Its range overlaps with that of Jameson's red rock hare in some regions, where the two species' habitats differ in elevation and rainfall, and the Natal red rock hare in others, where the two species are sympatric.
Its habitat is similar to that of other red rock hares. It occupies rocky escarpments, hillsides and kopjes, residing in particular on the tops of rocky outcroppings and in higher elevations in general. The tendency of P. saundersiae towards higher elevations in its habitat contributes to the separation of it from other red rock hares in areas of overlapping distribution. Other regions Hewitt's red rock hare are found include elevated grassland and shrubland.
Hewitt's red rock hare is presumed to behave similarly to Smith's red rock hare - a nocturnal forager that shelters under boulders and in crevices. It is presumed to be a folivore, preferring to eat grasses, herbs and shrubs.
Known predators of Hewitt's red rock hare are Verreaux's eagle, Cape eagle-owls, and leopards, which prey upon all red rock hares.
The population of Hewitt's red rock hare was estimated to be over 10,000 mature individuals in 2004, and the species has been considered "abundant" throughout its range. However, there are several threats to the species, many of which are anthropogenic, and declines in population are anticipated.
Hewitt's red rock hare is listed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species; no conservation measures have been put in place, though the species does occur in at least one protected area.