Annamite striped rabbit

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. It only recently became known to Western scientists: 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.^[3] It is known as the thỏ vằn in Vietnamese and ka tai lai seua in Lao.^[4]

Annamite striped rabbit[1]
N. timminsi in captivity
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Lagomorpha
Family:	Leporidae
Genus:	Nesolagus
Species:	N. timminsi
Binomial name
Nesolagus timminsi Averianov, Abramov, & Tikhonov, 2000
Annamite striped rabbit range

Genetics

The Annammite striped rabbit resembles the Sumatran striped rabbit morphologically in all aspects except some characteristics of the cranium, but it differs considerably in genetics. Significant differences in mtDNA were found through genetic analysis.^[5]

Characteristics

Nesolagus timminsi is a short-eared, short-tailed rabbit with a rust-colored rump and black or dark brown stripes running along the back. No specific measurements have been made.^[5]

Range and distribution

The range of Nesolagus timminsi includes the Northern and Central Annamites, and possibly the Southern Annamites.^[5] Very little is known of its ecology, nor 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.^[4] They may have survived in forested refugia that remained when glacial ice sheets retreated after the last ice age.^[6] N. timminsi apparently coexists with the Burmese hare in a sympatric relationship.^[5]

Behavior and ecology

Nothing is known about N. timminsi in regards to its reproduction. It is unknown if any parasites or diseases affect the species.^[4]

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.^[4] It Is found in conservation areas Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, Nakai–Nam Theun and Umat. Laos and Vietnam both have no conservation measures for this species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as endangered based on the high level of snaring activity in Vietnam, which is causing sharp declines in all ground-dwelling small mammals in the region.^[2]