Volcano rabbit
species of mammal
The volcano rabbit (Romerolagus diazi) (Spanish: conejo de los volcanes), also known as the teporingo or zacatuche, is a species of small rabbit that lives in pine and alder forests on volcanic slopes in Mexico. It is the only species in the genus Romerolagus and is considered to be the most primitive species among the rabbits and hares. It has small, rounded ears, short legs, a large forehead, and short, thick fur. It is one of the world's smallest rabbits, lives in groups consisting of between two and five members, and makes burrows (underground nests) and runways (worn-down, frequently traveled surface paths) among bunchgrasses. Up to three young are produced per litter, born in nests formed from shallow depressions in the ground lined with fur and plant matter.
Uniquely among the rabbits, the volcano rabbit emits high-pitched sounds to warn other rabbits of danger, a habit common in the related pikas. It is awake and most active in the early morning and evening. Populations have been estimated as approximately 7,000 adult individuals over their entire range. Human developments surrounding the volcano rabbit's habitat—including overgrazing, hunting, and burning of the species' preferred scrublands—have caused significant declines in population, even in protected parks. Both the IUCN and the Mexican government consider the volcano rabbit an endangered species.
“Volcano rabbit” enters the record as species of mammal. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Volcano, rabbit and species can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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This entry incorporates text from “Volcano rabbit” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.