Sumatran striped rabbit
| Sumatran striped rabbit | |
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| A model of an adult | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Lagomorpha |
| Family: | Leporidae |
| Genus: | Nesolagus |
| Species: | N. netscheri |
| Binomial name | |
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Nesolagus netscheri (Schlegel, 1880) |
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| Sumatran striped rabbit range | |
The Sumatran striped rabbit (Nesolagus netscheri), also known as the Sumatra short-eared rabbit or Sumatran rabbit, is a rabbit found only in forests in the Barisan Mountains in western Sumatra, Indonesia and surrounding areas. It is threatened by habitat loss, leading the IUCN to rate it as Vulnerable.
This rabbit was the sole representative of the genus Nesolagus until the Annamite striped rabbit was discovered in the Annamite Mountains between Laos and Vietnam.
The Sumatran striped rabbit is usually about 40 cm (1 ft, 4 in) long, with tails 17mm long. It is black with brown stripes, with a red tail and rump, and the underside is white. Their fur is soft and dense, overlaid by longer, harsher hairs.
As the species is rare, nocturnal and found only in remote forests, little is known about it. The local people do not have a name for the Sumatran Rabbit because they are not aware that the species even exists. The rabbit rests in the burrows of other animals. It usually eats the stalk and leaves of understory plants, but captive rabbits eat grain, and tropical fruits.
This species is said to be endemic and is native to the Barisan Mountains in Sumatra, Indonesia in north-west Sumatra. It has also been found in west and southwest Sumatra, and there is one record from Gunung Leuser National Park. It lives in forests at altitudes of 600–1600 metres above sea level. It is one of the few lagomorphs that chooses to live in the dense rainforest. The Sumatran rabbit also prefers to live more specifically in montane forests with volcanic soil.
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Wikipedia