Python Cookbook

Colophon

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The animal on the cover of Python Cookbook is a springhaas (Pedetes capensis), also known as a spring hare. Springhaas are not hares at all, but rather the only member of the family Pedetidae in the order Rodentia. They are not marsupials, but they are vaguely kangaroo-like, with small front legs, powerful hind legs designed for hopping, jumping, and leaping, and long, strong, bushy (but not prehensile) tails they use for balance and as a brace when sitting. They grow to be about 14-18 inches long, with tails as long as their bodies, and can weigh approximately 8 pounds. Springhaas have rich, glossy, tawny or golden-reddish coats with long, soft fur and white underbellies. Their heads are disproportionately large, and they have long ears (with a flap of skin at the base they can close to prevent sand from getting inside while they are digging) and large, dark brown eyes.

Springhaas mate throughout the year and have a gestation period of about 78-82 days. Females generally give birth to only one young (which stays with its mother until it is approximately seven weeks old) per litter but have three or four litters each year. Babies are born with teeth and fully furred, with their eyes closed and ears open.

Springhaas are terrestrial ...