The pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus
idahoensis) is the smallest rabbit in North America and is able
to fit in the palm of a hand. It is patchily distributed in the
sagebrush-dominated areas of the Great Basin. This includes portions
of Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and
Washington. The subspecies of pygmy rabbit found in Washington State
is near extinction.
Relatively little is known about this
species, which is too bad, because pygmy rabbits are vanishing from
much of their range. One thing we do know is that pygmy rabbits are
closely associated with tall, dense stands of big sagebrush growing
on deep, loose soil. Its dependence on sagebrush is the main reason
for its decline.
Unlike other rabbit species, the
pygmy rabbit digs its own burrows in deep, loose soil. Their burrow
systems are typically constructed under clumps of big sagebrush and
they usually stay within a 100 foot radius of the burrow. Not
only do they rely in sagebrush for shelter, but they depend on
sagebrush for food. About 98 percent of their winter diet is
sagebrush and a good portion of their spring and summer diet is
sagebrush. They sometimes climb into tops of sagebrush to feed.
The pygmy rabbit is distinguishable
from other rabbits by its small size, short ears, gray color, and
small hind legs. Unlike the cottontail rabbit, they lack white
fur on the underside of their tail. They also have white ear
margins, a characteristic that also distinguishes them from
cottontails. They move by scampering close to the ground and
generally don’t leap. They are active throughout the year in
day or night, mainly at dusk and dawn.
Pygmy rabbits are preyed upon by
weasels, coyotes, badgers, bobcats, birds of prey, owls, foxes, and
sometimes humans (pygmy rabbits are sometimes difficult for hunters
to distinguish from other rabbit species). Mortality is high for
both juveniles (an estimated 50 percent don’t survive the first five
weeks) and also the species in general, which has a mortality rate
of up to 88 percent per year. Like other rabbits, pygmy rabbits
mainly try to stay hidden and are cryptically colored to avoid
predation. They are also capable of short bursts of speed to try and
escape predators.
Pygmy rabbit numbers have drastically
declined in the past decade, even in protected areas such as the INL.
This decline is primarily due to habitat loss and fragmentation
through development and agricultural conversion.
Pygmy rabbits have been listed by the federal government as a
species of concern and are a candidate for threatened and endangered
species listing. In Idaho they are listed as a species of concern.
The Washington subspecies is near extinction and in 2003, the
federal government listed pygmy rabbits in Eastern Washington as
endangered.
