Endangered Species: The Volcano Rabbit

You may initially be confused as to what is meant by Volcano Rabbit – be assured that no-one is placing rabbits by volcanoes on purpose, but that these plucky fellows have been living in these dangerous and primal environments out of choice! Named of course for the slopes of the volcanoes that they live on, these rabbits are hardy creatures that are found between the elevations of 2800m and 4250m in the pine forests that have dense undergrowth and rocky terrain. This very specific habitat is known as the Trans-Mexico Volcano Belt.

Because of this highly-specific habitat of choice, the volcano rabbit is very susceptible to environmental damage and hunting effects – the necessary elevation and choice of terrain makes it very difficult for them to migrate to new territories and subsequently they have been in decline for many years, with their numbers counted at somewhere between just 1,000 and 1,200 in 1969. The number today is unknown, as damage and hunting has driven down population levels, although it can be expected that a vast majority of the rabbit numbers have disappeared.

They have a lifespan of between 7 to 9 years, but have a low yield of young per litter which is often between 2 or 3 rabbits. They feed very specifically on the green leaves in zacaton grass, whilst supplementing this diet with other leaves and shoots, which means that their spread is only possible along the zacaton corridors – as these patches of land decline and the zacaton disappears, the possibility for these rabbits to spread disappears and so the numbers decline faster than their lowered reproduction rate can manage, although this may also be thanks to an evolutionary trait to ensure the remaining zacaton supplies can sustain the current levels of population.

The hunting issue that faces the volcano rabbit is an unfortunate one. As they are seen as pests rather than as game by the locals, they are shot for feeding on crops and simply left, rather than hunted for food products. Hunters, on the other hand, also do not see them as suitable game animals, but instead utilise them as ‘target practice’. This is a sad state of affairs that has left the volcano rabbit’s population declining and without proper measures put into place we can only expect this kind of attitude towards the volcano rabbits to continue.

Conservation efforts are in place to prevent the amount of burning and other damages to the rabbit’s habitat and prohibit the capture, killing and sale of the rabbits. Captive colonies exist in a small number of Zoo’s in both Mexico and the USA, but real research needs to be undertaken into habitat management and species welfare to ensure the prolonged survival of this undeservedly endangered species.