Rabbit+(extinct+animal)

Eastern Cottontail (Modern Animal) --->

= Pygmy Rabbit =

Pygmy rabbit was the smallest rabbit known in the world before. These rabbits are brownish gray in color, small and short ears and a small tail. An adult pygmy rabbit, having about the same   size as the greater Bilby, can only reach to and from 9.84 to 11.4 inches long and have a weighting of 0.88 to 1.02 lbs. Shocking, that female pygmy rabbits are larger than male pygmy rabbits, with a length of 10.3 to 13.2 inches long and weight from 1.1 to 1.6 lbs.

These super small rabbits have a lifespan of 3-5 years. The reason why they are extinct is because in the Columbia Basin, the population is very isolated and it is very hard for them to evolve in an area such as that. Therefore, the Columbia basin pygmy rabbit has been clarified as an extinct animal on mid May this year.


 * **Scientific Classification ** ||
 * Kingdom || Animalia ||
 * Phylum || Chordate ||
 * Class || Mammalia ||
 * Order || Lagomorpha ||
 * Family || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Leporidae ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Genus || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Brachylagus ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Species || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">B. idahonesis ||


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Habitat **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;"> __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Habitat __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Pygmy rabbits are limited to areas such as deep soils, along with tall, dense sagebrush, which they use for cover and also for food. The sagebrush surrounding the pygmy rabbit are often 6 to 7 feet tall.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">These rabbits were the only native animal that digs burrows around their area. These burrows are usually located near or on a slope at the base of some sage plants, and using their smart sense of direction, the entrance and exit are always facing north or east. The depth of the burrow is 3.3 feet deep, where tunnels widen up below the surface and chambers for formed.

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Reproduction __

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">A reproduction of the pygmy rabbit are from mid February to mid May. Due to the fact that these rabbits are small, they only have 3 litters in a year and the average litter size of 6 kits. When kits are born, pygmy rabbits do not hide them or distribute them in the burrows. Instead they are taken out to their base at the sagebrush plants.

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Diet __

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Pygmy rabbits are a vegetarian animal. They eat grass or any other plants they can find and eat. Most of the time, their main supply of food comes from the sagebrush. Due to the area and land, their other food is also leaves and grass. It is very common around their area so it is very easy to gain a good amount of food in the winter.

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Behavior __

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Pygmy’s behavior on everything is very unique. Due to their size, they run around a lot and very fast. When mating, the female makes the male to chase her around, then after a several minutes, the female stops to let the male mount, or copulation during the chase. Their behaviors change from time to time, when meeting a predator, they run back into their base and stay there, but with curiosity from the predator. Some of the predator for example the Arctic wolf, and even a wild turkey, can catch them easily due to the speed difference.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Adaptation **

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Hair color __

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The fact that the pygmy rabbit lives in and around sagebrush, their brownish gray colored hair is the best protection for them. The color between the sagebrush and their hair looks completely identical. There is no way that any predators can spot them easily under all these sagebrush.

__ Teeth __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Pygmy rabbit’s teeth have been adapted so they could eat and cut down woods easily. Their razor sharp teeth are the main tools for making their cover over their base. Because they dig burrows, the amount of wood needed for covering the entrance is massive. Including other hard and soft materials, these teeth come in handy whenever they need it.

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Back legs __

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The pygmy rabbit has very powerful legs to assist them from running away from danger just like the Kangaroos. They have extra muscular legs and a small body for them to run at 20 mph, faster than most of the rabbits in the world, thanks to their light weight body. The pygmy rabbit also use their strong back legs to dig their burrow deeper and deeper, therefore increasing the speed of making their base the surface. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Eyes and ears __

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Even though the pygmy rabbit has very small eyes and small ears, they have a very sensitive hearing and fantastic eyesight. Combining these two functions together, it is the key for an early detection from their predator and also a quit sight of the predator. Therefore, increasing their chance of survival and also increasing the chance of them not getting hunted.

__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Sense of smell __

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The pygmy rabbit have a very small, but sensitive nose. Their sense of smell helps them to hunt for trials, food trials, and also trials of where their child has gone to if they ran away. However, these rabbits only go around 200 feet away from their burrow, so they would easily get lost while going on a smell trial.



=Bibliography= //Pygmy rabbit//. (n.d.). Retrieved 6 26, 2011, from Nevada Fish & Wildlife Office: http://www.fws.gov/nevada/nv_species/pygmy_rabbit.html //Pygmy rabbit//. (n.d.). Retrieved 6 26, 2011, from Naturemapping animal facts: http://depts.washington.edu/natmap/facts/pygmy_rabbit_712.html //Pygmy rabbit//. (n.d.). Retrieved 6 26, 2011, from Earth's endangered creatures: http://www.earthsendangered.com/profile.asp?gr=M&sp=793 Wikipedia. (n.d.). //Pygmy Rabbit//. Retrieved 6 26, 2011, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_Rabbit#Habitat