Riverine Rabbit
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| Bunolagus monticularis (Thomas, 1903) |
The Riverine Rabbit (Bunolagus monticularis), also known as the Bushman Rabbit or Bushman Hare, is one of the rarest and most endangered mammals in the world, with probably no more than 200 individuals left. This rabbit has an extremely limited distribution area, found only in the central and southern regions of the Karoo Desert of South Africa's Cape Province. It is the only member of the genus Bunolagus.
It typically has a black stripe running from the corner of the mouth over the cheek. It has a brown woolly tail, cream-colored fur on its belly and throat, and a broad, club-like hind foot. Its tail is pale brown with a tinge of black toward the tip. It is a nocturnal species.
It is nowadays found in only a few places in the Karoo, none of them being a protected area. Fraserburg, Sutherland and Victoria West all have small populations.
[edit] References
- ^ Hoffmann, Robert S.; Andrew T. Smith (November 16, 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 194. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- ^ Collins et al (2003). Bunolagus monticularis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 2006-05-11. Database entry includes justification for why this species is critically endangered
[edit] External links
- World´s most endangered mammals [1]
- ARKive - images and movies of the riverine rabbit (Bunolagus monticularis)
- additional images available at riverinerabbit.co.za
