Happy Lunar New Year!
While it may seem that rabbits are common and abundant, surprisingly, nearly half of rabbit species worldwide are endangered.
Here are 5 endangered rabbits to remember this year. These beautiful and amazing species could easily disappear forever in our lifetime as they face habitat loss, climate change, poaching and a myriad of other threats. The trajectory of same threats and driving forces will likely determine the fate of our species as well.
I hope the New Year brings the inspiration for us all to face humanities problems and challenges with the gentle grace and peaceful determination of the Rabbit.
-The Sumatran Striped Rabbit is found only in the highland forests of Sumatra, Indonesia, and is considered to be one of the least know and may be the most critically-endangered rabbit species, with only around 300 individuals remaining in the wild.
Image: https://news.mongabay.com/2012/06/forgotten-species-the-overlooked-sumatran-striped-rabbit/
-The pygmy rabbit is the smallest rabbit in North America, and is known for its unique burrowing behavior, as it creates its own underground burrow systems for protection and breeding. You can see this rabbit in Montana’s Centennial Valley: https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/centennial-valley/
Image :https://www.ndow.org/species/pygmy-rabbit/
-The Amani rabbit is found only on the Amami Islands of Japan. This species is endowed with oddly-shaped ears, a large body, and a distinctive black and white pattern on its fur. It is also known for its nocturnal habits and for being able to climb trees, which is an unusual behavior for a rabbit.
Image: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13054888
-The Hispid Hare is found in the Terai region of Nepal and northern India. It is known for its reddish-brown fur, which is longer and coarser than that of other hares, as well as its long ears and hind legs.
Image: https://journalsofindia.com/hispid-hare/
-The Ili pika is a small mammal that is found only in the Tianshan Mountains of China. It is a type of pika, which is a small, rabbit-like mammal that is known for its high-pitched calls and its ability to store food in large piles called haypiles. Pikas are also included with hares and rabbits in the taxonomic order Lagomorpha.
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