Appalachian cottontail rabbit
| Appalachian cottontail rabbit | ||||||||||||
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Appalachian cottontail rabbit ( Sylvilagus obscurus ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Sylvilagus obscurus | ||||||||||||
| Chapman , Cramer, Dippenaar, & Robinson, 1992 |
The Appalachian cottontail rabbit ( Sylvilagus obscurus ) is a species of mammal from the genus of cottontail rabbits ( Sylvilagus ) within the hare-like (Lagomorpha). The rabbit is in the Appalachian Mountains in the United States of America endemic .
features
The Appalachian cottontail rabbit reaches an average body length of about 38.6 to 43 centimeters, with a weight of 800 to 1000 grams. The back color is yellow-brown with black, on the neck they have a noticeable brown spot. The sides of the body are lighter in color and the belly side is white.
Outwardly, the animals cannot be distinguished from the New England cottontail rabbit ( S. transitionalis ), so conclusions about the species can only be drawn based on where they were found. Compared to the Florida cottontail ( S. floridanus ) they are slightly smaller with shorter and rounded ears that are bordered with black and have a black spot between the ears. Further differences can be found in the structure of the skull.
distribution
The Appalachian cottontail rabbit is endemic to the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States of America . The species occurs at high altitudes in central Pennsylvania , western Maryland , West Virginia , Virginia , eastern Tennessee , Kentucky , North and South Carolina, and northern Georgia and Alabama .
Way of life
Little information is available about the way of life of the species. The habitat in the high altitudes of the Appalachian Mountains at heights of more than 760 meters is characterized by mixed and coniferous forests with dense vegetation in the subsurface of heather or berry bushes. The undergrowth is important as a hiding place and for the heat balance of the species.
The animals are crepuscular and accordingly foraging for food in the early morning and evening. During the day they rest in hiding places under pieces of wood or other shelters in which they are protected from predators. Like most species of the genus, the Appalachian cottontail rabbit is probably largely solitary, so it does not form groups.
nutrition
Like other rabbits, the Appalachian cottontail rabbit feeds on plants. Its diet includes ferns, grasses, perennials, leaves, fruits and conifer needles. The latter are very atypical for other rabbits. In winter, the animals probably feed on shoots and tree bark from various types of trees and bushes.
Reproduction and development
The breeding season of the species ranges from late February or early March to September or October. Like other species in the genus, the Appalachian cottontail rabbit is likely to be polygynous .
The gestation period is 28 days and the females throw an average of three times a year with 2 to 8 young animals per litter. Each year a female gives birth to 8 to 24 young animals, depending on the source. It builds a shallow nest for this and feeds it with leaves, grass and fur. The young are born blind and naked and are breastfed for three to four weeks. They open their eyes after 6 to 7 days and leave the nest after 12 to 14 days.
The animals reach sexual maturity at one to two months of life. The males usually do not reproduce until the following spring, but some females give birth for the first time at the end of the first breeding season. The lifespan of animals is very short and most animals are believed to live for less than a year.
Predators
Like most rabbits, the Appalachian cottontail rabbit is hunted by numerous predators. These include predators such as foxes and dogs as well as birds of prey and owls. The hares often escape the predators by their fast and hooking locomotion and by the fact that they hide motionless and move slowly and carefully through the undergrowth.
Systematics
The Appalachian cottontail rabbit is assigned to the cottontail rabbit (genus Sylvilagus ) as an independent species . The species was scientifically described for the first time by Chapman et al. 1992. During a molecular biological analysis of New England cottontail rabbits ( S. transitionalis ), the working group found that they were equipped with two different sets of chromosomes ( genomes ). While the animals of the northern Appalachians have a diploid chromosome set of 2n = 52 chromosomes, those of the southern Appalachians have only 2n = 46 chromosomes. Chapman et al. accordingly described the last as the new species Sylvilagus obscurus .
Hazard and protection
The Appalachian cottontail rabbit is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as a type of warning list ( near threatened ) due to the size of the population and the very fragmented distribution area. The population is believed to be decreasing, but there is a lack of data to confirm this. Forecasts assume a decline of 30% by 2014, which could enable the species to meet the criteria for classification as an endangered species.
The main source of danger for the animals is the destruction and fragmentation of their habitats as well as changes in the area of human settlement. Here there is also the development of competitions with the Florida cottontail ( Sylvilagus floridanus ), which is better adapted to the changed habitats and thus displaces Sylvilagus obscurus .
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Jeremy Cook: Sylvilagus obscurus in the Animal Diversity Net. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
- ↑ a b c d e f g Sylvilagus obscurus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: R. Barry, J. Lazell, 2008. Accessed July 9, 2012 Design.
- ↑ a b J.A. Chapman, KL Cramer, NJ Dippenaar, T J. Robinson: Systematics and biogeography of the New England cottontail, Sylvilagus transitionalis (Bangs, 1895), with the description of a new species from the Appalachian Mountains. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 105, 1992: pp. 841-866.
- ↑ Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (ed.): Sylvilagus obscurus . In: Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
literature
- JA Chapman, KL Cramer, NJ Dippenaar, T J. Robinson: Systematics and biogeography of the New England cottontail, Sylvilagus transitionalis (Bangs, 1895), with the description of a new species from the Appalachian Mountains. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 105, 1992: pp. 841-866.
Web links
- Sylvilagus obscurus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: R. Barry, J. Lazell, 2008. Accessed July 9, 2012 Design.