What kinds of rabbits are there in the world?

Rabbits in the world are divided into 8 genera, some of which are very common and even considered pests, while others are extremely rare and endangered. The following nine kinds of rabbits are distributed in different habitats around the world, and they have also established strong and lasting ties in many different human cultures.

Ryukyu rabbit, also known as Amami short-eared rabbit, is one of the rarest rabbits and is listed as "Endangered" (EN) in the IUCN Red List. Their distribution is limited to Amami Island and Tokushima Island in the Ryukyu Islands in southern Japan. Ryukyu rabbits have been officially protected since 1963, but they are still threatened by wild cats. The fur of Ryukyu rabbits is dark brown, and the side color varies from light brown to reddish brown. Their main characteristics are short hind legs, small eyes and obviously shorter ears compared with other rabbits. Ryukyu rabbit is considered to be the remains of primitive rabbits that once spread all over the Asian continent, so it is called "living fossil" by some people.

South African mountain rabbit is the only member of the mountain rabbit genus, also known as the jungle cave rabbit, and is one of the rarest mammals in the world. At present, its number is only about 200. They live in the barren and arid Karoo Desert in South Africa. In the Red List of Endangered Species published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) IUCN)2000, the South African mountain rabbit was listed as "critically endangered" (CR). Like many desert dwellers, South African mountain rabbits are active nocturnal animals. They feed on plants at night and rest in small ditches in the bushes during the day. The obvious characteristics of South African mountain rabbits are black stripes across the cheeks from the corners of the mouth and white circles around the eyes.

Sumatra rabbit, also known as Sumatra rabbit or Sumatra short-eared rabbit, is extremely rare. After a sighting in 1930s, it was not until 1972 that people saw it again. After 2000, people took some pictures with the help of automatic cameras. Sumatran rabbit was once thought to be the only member of the genus Nesolagus, but now zoologists have found Annan rabbit (scientific name Nesolagus timminsi) in Annanshan area on the border between Laos and Vietnam. Both rabbits have stripes and short ears similar to Ryukyu rabbits, and both live in remote mountains.

The volcano rabbit is one of the smallest rabbits in the world, weighing only about 450 grams. They are distributed in volcanic areas of Mexico and are called Teporingo or Zacatuche by local people. Volcanic rabbits have dark fur and small round ears. They are herbivores at night and make high-pitched sounds to communicate with other similar animals. Like many other endangered species in Mexico, the habitat of volcanic rabbits is threatened by human expansion. They are also victims of hunters, but not as meat, but as training targets before hunting birds. In the red list of IUCN, the level of volcanic rabbits is "Endangered" (EN). At present, their number in the wild is about 1000.

In the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Jurassic rabbits are classified as "non-dangerous" (LC). This is the smallest rabbit in the world, and several attempts have been made to urge the US federal government to list it as an endangered species. It is worth mentioning that the Jurassic rabbit population in Columbia Valley, Washington, USA is listed as an endangered species by the federal government, and research shows that this population is forming a new subspecies. Apart from being petite, Jurassic rabbits are different from other rabbits in light gray fur, short ears and no white hair on their tails. They are distributed in great basin in the western United States, and they are one of two kinds of rabbits in the United States that can dig their own caves (the other is Mexican volcano rabbits).

The arctic rabbit (scientific name Lepus arcticus) is distributed in the tundra of Canada and Greenland, weighing up to 7 kilograms, and running at a speed of 64 kilometers per hour when encountering predators. Arctic rabbits can live up to five years old, but in the unpredictable and harsh Arctic region, they often don't live to this age. Arctic rabbits usually flock, which is a key link in the food chain in the Arctic. As herbivores, arctic rabbits are prey of ferrets, arctic foxes and arctic wolves.

Sylvilagus floridanus, also known as Florida Cotton-tailed Rabbit, is distributed in eastern and southern Canada, eastern United States, Mexico and Venezuela in South America. The eastern cotton-tailed rabbit is the most common Sylvilagus species recognized by 13. Their fertility is amazing, and each female rabbit can give birth to 35 offspring every year on average. The prolific eastern cotton-tailed rabbit is the favorite prey of many carnivores, including foxes, badgers, raccoons and owls, and of course, humans. They also died in car accidents because they were running on roads and highways. Eastern cotton-tailed rabbits can start breeding when they are two to three months old. Although they can live for up to 5 years in captivity, most of them can't live for 15 months in the wild.

Oryctolagus cuniculus is native to western France, Iberian Peninsula and coastal areas in western North Africa. Their weight is between 1. 1 and 2.5 kg, and they are good at digging holes. In many traditional fairy tales, the hole rabbit is a frequent character. They are highly socialized animals and are most active at dusk and dawn. Cave rabbits have been introduced to many countries and regions, including Britain, parts of Chile, New Zealand and Australia. 1859, a misguided manor owner brought 24 cave rabbits to Victoria, Australia, and soon they escaped into the wild and spread to the whole continent. Myxoma virus was introduced in 1950' s, and now the surviving cave rabbits have developed immunity to this virus.

Central African rabbits, also known as Bugno Luo rabbits, are small and scattered, mainly distributed in the central and eastern parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Central African rabbits feed on grass, plant tubers and shrub leaves in semi-arid grasslands and shrubs. Their weight is between 2 and 3 kilograms, their fur is mainly taupe, and their abdomen is light.