| Tres Marias cottontail | |
|---|---|
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| S. graysoni on María Madre | |
| Conservation status | |
 Endangered (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Lagomorpha |
| Family: | Leporidae |
| Genus: | Sylvilagus |
| Species: | S. graysoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Sylvilagus graysoni (J. A. Allen, 1877) | |
| |
| Tres Marias cottontail range | |
The Tres Marias cottontail or Tres Marias rabbit (Sylvilagus graysoni) is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It is endemic to the Islas Marías in Mexico.
Taxonomy
Sylvilagus graysoni was first identified by Joel Asaph Allen in 1877, who described the type locality of the species as the "Tres Marias Islands, Nayarit, Mexico". Edward William Nelson would later clarify in Mammals of the Tres Marias Islands (1899) that the specific island was likely Maria Madre.
Two subspecies are recognized:
- Sylvilagus graysoni badistes Dressing & Wilson 1980-01
- Sylvilagus graysoni graysoni (J. A. Allen, 1877)
Characteristics
Sylvilagus graysoni is a cottontail rabbit with short (57–64 mm (2.2–2.5 in)) ears, medium-large (437–480 mm (17.2–18.9 in)) body size, and medium-large (78–80 mm (3.1–3.1 in)) skull size. Its fur is rufous, and the color of the fur brightens near the nape and rump (animal) areas. The underside and tail is whitish in color, though there is a brown section present on the throat.
It is very similar morphologically and closely related to the Mexican cottontail (S. cunicularius), which resides on mainland Mexico.
Distribution and habitat
Sylvilagus graysoni is endemic to the Islas Marías, part of the Mexican state of Nayarit. The rabbit is abundantly found in both the Madre and Magdalena Islands, but is rarely encountered on Cleofa Island. Later accounts found the species on the three northern islands, but not Maria Cleofa; contemporary accounts describe S. graysoni as occurring on all four islands in the archipelago, with the population on San Juanito island making up the subspecies S. g. badistes. Its natural habitat is deciduous tropical forests.
Behavior and ecology
Due to its isolation, Sylvilagus graysoni does not fear humans as do species on the mainland. Individuals on San Juanito Island are notable in their lack of escape behavior.
The rabbit only has three predators: the Tres Marias raccoon (Procyon lotor insularis), a subspecies of the common raccoon, and two birds of prey, the red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and the crested caracara (Caracara plancus).
Threats
Sylvilagus graysoni is threatened by habitat loss. Introduction of non-native species to the island has also posed a threat to the species, as there is increased competition for resources.
References
- ^ Hoffman, R.S.; Smith, A.T. (2005). "Sylvilagus (Sylvilagus) graysoni". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 210. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- ^ Lorenzo, C.; Lanier, H.C. (2019). "Sylvilagus graysoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T21206A45180643. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T21206A45180643.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Cervantes, Fernando A. (24 October 1997). "Sylvilagus graysoni". Mammalian Species (559): 1–3. doi:10.2307/3504378.
- ^ Lorenzo, Consuelo; Ramírez-Silva, Juan Pablo; Cervantes, Fernando A.; Farrera-Muro, Ricardo (2018). "Sylvilagus graysoni (J. A. Allen, 1877) Tres Marías Cottontail". In Smith, Andrew T.; Johnston, Charlotte H.; Alves, Paulo C.; Hackländer, Klaus (eds.). Lagomorphs: Pikas, Rabbits, and Hares of the World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 142–144. ISBN 978-1-4214-2341-8. LCCN 2017004268.
- ^ Nelson, E. W. (1899-04-29). "Mammals of the Tres Marias Islands". North American Fauna. 14: 15–19. doi:10.3996/nafa.14.0002. ISSN 0078-1304.
- Nelson, Edward William (1909). "Tres Marias Cottontail". The Rabbits of North America (29): 244–245.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Sylvilagus graysoni | |