Black jackrabbit
The Espiritu Santo hare ( Lepus insularis ) is a species of mammal of the genus Real hares within the lagomorphs. It is endemic to Isla Espiritu Santo on the off the coast of Baja California Sur in the Gulf of California.
- 3.1 nutrition
- 3.2 Reproduction
Features
General features
The Espiritu Santo hare reached an average head -body length of 57.4 centimeters and a tail length of 9.6 centimeters. The body weight is about 2.5 kg. The females are slightly larger than males. The feet are average 12.1 inches long and 10.5 inches ears. These are compared with those of jackrabbits (Lepus californicus ) is slightly shorter. In the overall size corresponds to the Espiritu Santo rabbit of occurring on the Baja California Peninsula subspecies Lepus californicus martirensis of jackrabbits.
The body coloration is shiny black with a cinnamon- scattering, the flanks are grayish. The head is black - gray to black with some white hair in the middle of the crown and some gray hair around the eyes and the ears. The belly is cinnamon - brown to gray. On the inside of the hind legs is a black line runs from the toes to heels, soles of the feet are heavily padded.
Features of the skull
The skull of the Espiritu Santo rabbits is slightly larger compared to that of jackrabbits in the rule. Despite comparable body size, it has a slightly larger cranium than Lepus californicus martirensis. Other differences concern the narrower supra -orbital plates and heavy zygomatic arches constructed that are stronger at Espiritu Santo rabbits than in all sub-species of jackrabbits and also have a deep pit at the front end. The bullae are also larger. In the overall appearance of the skull is similar to that of Lepus californicus thus more xanti (also on the Baja California common), but which is somewhat smaller.
Genetic features
The Espiritu Santo rabbit has a diploid chromosome complement of 2n = 48 chromosomes and it is no different from the verwandtehn jackrabbits. The autosome consists of four pairs of medium-sized metacentric, four pairs of small to large submetazentrischer, nine pairs of small to large telozentrischer and six pairs of small to medium-sized telozentrischer chromosomes. In addition, a medium-sized, submetacentric X chromosome and a small and telozentrisches Y chromosome.
Distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the Espiritu Santo rabbits is limited to the Isla Espiritu Santo off the coast of Baja California Sur in the Gulf of California. The total area of the island and therefore the maximum range of the species is therefore 95 km2, the maximum height of the island is about 300 meters. On the nearby island Pichilinque this type has been introduced.
The type makes use of all habitats on the island, however, is mainly in the valleys and to meet the shallower slopes of the mountains. The island itself is a freshwater loose volcanic island dominated by rocky hills and flat mountains. The rabbits live in accordance with desert-like, arid habitats with shrubs of the genus Prosopis, and Acacia Ambrosia and cacti of the genera Pachycereus, Stenocereus and Opuntia and other drought- adapted plants.
Way of life
The animals are solitary and mainly nocturnal. You spend most of the day in the shade of bushes. Like all rabbits species, they do not live in underground burrows but spend the rest phases in Erdmulden flat on the ground or in vegetation. Because of their black coloring they are very conspicuous in the vegetation, even if they are motionless.
The only predator of the island is the North American Katzenfrett ( Bassariscus astutus ), which probably also makes hunting on young Espiritu Santo rabbits. In addition, some raptor species are known, the hunt on the island.
Nutrition
The Espiritu Santo hare like other rabbits fed a vegetarian and preferred grasses as food. It also feeds on bark and fleshy parts of Stenocereus when no other food is available. Since there is no fresh water on the island, he refers the water needed completely from the diet.
Reproduction
The mating season of the Espiritu Santo rabbits is in the milder season and thus usually in the period from January to August. During this time there will be rivals fighting of the males, which are carried out with the front and hind legs. When pairing itself may be caused by the males to serious injury of the females.
The gestation period is 41 to 43 days and the females give birth in the spring and summer two to three times a year pups. The litter size is placed at three to four pups. These come above ground in open nests with a full dress fur and open eyes to the world as precocial, ie are active immediately after birth. The lactation period lasts only a few days, after which the hatchlings leave the mother.
System
The Espiritu Santo rabbit was described in 1891 by the American zoologist Walter E. Bryant under the name Lepus insularis gütlitegn today. He described him in a preliminary species description, entitled Preliminary description of a new species of the genus Lepus from Mexico in the Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. A further description was made by MR Saint Loup in 1895 under the name Lepus edwardsi in the Bulletin Museo d' Histoire Naturelle in Paris. Lepus edwardsi is accordingly a synonym of Lepus insularis.
The species status of Espiritu Santo rabbits was doubted and he was the jackrabbits (Lepus californicus ) is assigned as a subspecies, but is now regarded by the significant skull features as certain. A close relationship exists to the jackrabbits (Lepus californicus ), which occurs in several sub- species on the peninsula of Baja California (Lepus californicus martirensis, Lepus californicus xanti ) and on the neighboring islands (Lepus californicus magdalenae ).
Isla Espíritu Santo Since established only about 5,000 to 12,000 years, it is not at the Espiritu Santo rabbits to a relict of an originally large area of distribution. The species has been formed, no doubt, after reaching the island from a population of jackrabbits. Fossils of Espiritu Santo rabbits are not available.
Threats and conservation
The species is assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ( IUCN) " Near Threatened " mainly due to its endemic occurrence in an area of less than 100 km2 and due to the size of the stock as ( Near Threatened ). A decline in inventories and a greater threat to the species are not known. On the uninhabited island of inventory is stable and a decrease accordingly not to be feared.