The Annamite striped rabbit (Nesolagus timminsi) is a species of rabbit native to the Annamite mountain range on the Laos-Vietnam border. The rabbit is striped, with a red rump, and resembles the Sumatran striped rabbit. A recent discovery in scientific literature, striped rabbits were first observed in 1996 by biologist Rob Timmins in a market in Bak Lak in Laos, and the species was described in 2000 and named after Timmins' find.[2] It is known as the thỏ vằn in Vietnamese and ka tai lai seua in Lao.[3]
Until 1996, the only known species belonging to the genus Nesolagus was the Sumatran striped rabbit (Nesolagus netscheri), a species restricted to the Sumatran mountain range of Bukit Barisan[4] which was described in 1880 (as Lepus netscheri)[5] by German naturalist Hermann Schlegel.[2] The name Nesolagus was erected by Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major in 1899, though he did not clarify if it should describe a genus on its own or a subgenus of Caprolagus;[6] it was solidified as a genus containing the Sumatran striped rabbit in 1904 by Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr. in his work Classification of the Hares and their Allies.[7]
The first description of the Annamite striped rabbit came several years after evidence of striped rabbits was found outside of Sumatra starting in December 1995. Ten specimens were taken from the Annamite Range in Laos and Vietnam, and a single photograph of a live striped rabbit was taken. Genetic analysis of the specimens found significant differences from the known Sumatran striped rabbit, so much so that creation of a new species, Nesolagus timminsi was warranted. The authors of the species' description named it after Robert J. Timmins, who first recorded the species in Laos.[4] The species' type locality was noted as being about 10 kilometres (6.2mi) south of Nuoc Sot village in the commune of Sơn Kim, Hương Sơn district, Hà Tĩnh province, Vietnam.[8]
Description
The Annammite striped rabbit is a short-eared, short-tailed rabbit with a rust-colored rump and black or dark brown stripes running along the back. Since there are no complete specimens of the rabbit, no measurements have been made that describe a typical example,[9] besides one measurement of the skull that describes its greatest length as 78.9 millimetres (3.11in).[3] Its dental characteristics are very similar between juvenile and adult stages, an aspect which was characterized as most similar to the North American pygmy rabbit (Sylvilagus idahoensis) in the species' first description.[4]
It resembles the Sumatran striped rabbit morphologically in all aspects except some characteristics of the cranium, but it differs considerably in its genetics. Significant differences in mtDNA were found through genetic analysis.[9] Further research on the Annamite striped rabbit has been suggested to determine if any variations occur across its distribution.[3]
Range and distribution
The Annamite striped rabbit's distribution includes the Northern and Central regions of the Annamite Range, and possibly the Southern Annamites.[9] It is known from Vietnam and Laos; the first photograph of the species taken in Laos was published in 2007.[10] It is unknown why there is a thousand-mile gap between it and its nearest relative, the Sumatran striped rabbit (Nesolagus netscheri). Molecular analysis indicates that the two diverged from a common ancestor about eight million years ago, in the Pliocene epoch.[3] They may have survived in forested refugia that remained when glacial ice sheets retreated after the last ice age.[11]N. timminsi apparently coexists with the Burmese hare in a sympatric relationship.[9]
Behavior and ecology
The Annamite striped rabbit is nocturnal and herbivorous.[3] Because many of the larger carnivores have been depleted throughout its distribution, the only likely predator of the rabbit is the leopard cat. Records from camera traps indicate that it is a solitary and animal, with pairs of rabbits reported only two times. Little is known about N. timminsi in regards to its reproduction, as its young have been found on only two occasions: one pair of kittens in a shallow depression found in January, and another pair of 10–12 week old rabbits found in May.[1] It is unknown if any parasites or diseases affect the species.[3]
Threats and conservation
N. timminsi is primarily threatened by hunting, as it is often caught in snare traps set both by subsistence hunters and poaching operations. Hunting by dogs is also a likely impact on the species. Agricultural cultivation and extensive road building throughout Laos and Vietnam have caused habitat loss and degradation, but hunting remains the primary threat.[3] It is found in the conservation areas Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, and Nakai–Nam Theun. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has in 2018 assessed its conservation status as endangered based on the high level of snaring activity in Vietnam, which is causing sharp declines in ground-dwelling small mammals in the region. It is a reported pest in rice fields. Laos and Vietnam both have little historical basis for species conservation measures, but teams of law enforcement patrols led both by government and non-government forces have been successful in removing thousands of snares across the region's protected areas.[1]
Prior to 2018, two assessments by the IUCN in 2002 and 2008 were unable to determine a conservation status for the Annamite striped rabbit, marking it as data deficient and noting a lack of available information, but considered that in Laos and Vietnam would likely place the species as near threatened, vulnerable, or endangered.[12] In 2024, the species' recovery was evaluated as "largely depleted" in a Green Status assessment, where it was noted that while the species is still present in many parts of its habitat, the small population in the species' southern distribution will likely be locally extinct within 10 years. However, anti-hunting interventions had a positive effect on Annamite striped rabbit populations, and the species' health could be further improved through development of the northern and central populations with habitat conservation and captive breeding programmes.[13] Capture of the species in preparation to establish a captive breeding colony has been described as simple relative to other, larger endangered species in the region, as the Annamite striped rabbit will freeze when faced with a headlamp in the dark.[1]
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