Sylvilagus brasiliensis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	LAGOMORPHA	LEPORIDAE

Scientific Name:

Sylvilagus brasiliensis

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Tapeti, Forest Rabbit
Spanish	–	Conejo Tropical

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Mexican Association for Conservation and Study of Lagomorphs (AMCELA), Romero Malpica, F.J. & Rangel Cordero, H.

Evaluator/s:

Smith, A.T. & Boyer, A.F. (Lagomorph Red List Authority)

Justification:
Sylvilagus brasiliensis is a widespread (Chapman and Ceballos 1990) and fairly common species that does not appear to be experiencing a severe decline (Reid 1997).

History:

1996

–

Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Sylvilagus brasiliensis occurs from southern Tamaluipas, Mexico along the eastern coast of Mexico (excluding the states of Yucatan, Quintana Roo, and Campeche), through Guatemala, (possibly) El Salvador, Honduras, eastern Nicaragua, eastern Costa Rica, Panama, and through the northern half of South America (except at high altitudes), including Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina, and most of Brazil. Distribution in the Amazon region is unknown (Chapman and Ceballos 1990; Hoffmann and Smith 2005). It occurs at elevations ranging from sea level to 4,800 m (Ruedas and Salazar-Bravo 2007).
Countries:	Native: Argentina (Catamarca, Chaco, Corrientes, Formosa, Jujuy, Misiones, Salta, Santa Fé, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán); Belize; Bolivia; Brazil (Acre, Alagoas, Amapá, Amazonas, Bahia, Brasília Distrito Federal, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Paraíba, Pará, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Rondônia, Santa Catarina, Sergipe, São Paulo, Tocantins); Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; French Guiana; Guatemala; Guyana; Honduras; Mexico (Chiapas, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz); Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Suriname; Venezuela Presence uncertain: El Salvador
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	No recent population assessments are available, but in Mexico, Sylvilagus brasiliensis populations are known to decline when its habitat is deforested, though it is able to survive well in second growth forest and pasture (Alvarez de Toro 1977). According to Durant (1986), abundance of S. b. meridensis in high mountains of Venezuela was reduced to 0.04 animals/ha from previously recorded levels of 4.8 animals/ha due to habitat loss.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Population:

No recent population assessments are available, but in Mexico, Sylvilagus brasiliensis populations are known to decline when its habitat is deforested, though it is able to survive well in second growth forest and pasture (Alvarez de Toro 1977). According to Durant (1986), abundance of S. b. meridensis in high mountains of Venezuela was reduced to 0.04 animals/ha from previously recorded levels of 4.8 animals/ha due to habitat loss.

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Sylvilagus brasiliensis primarily inhabits tropical rain forests, deciduous forests, and second growth forests in Mexico and Central America (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). It is also found in pastures bordering forest habitat (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). As recorded in two localities, Chiapas, Mexico, and the Andean Paramos in South America, S. brasiliensis reproduces year-round (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). Gestation time is variable according to location (28-44 days) (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). This species has a small mean litter size (1.2) compared to other members of the genus (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). Total length ranges form 25.0-42.0 cm (Cervantes et al. 2005).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Sylvilagus brasiliensis primarily inhabits tropical rain forests, deciduous forests, and second growth forests in Mexico and Central America (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). It is also found in pastures bordering forest habitat (Chapman and Ceballos 1990).

As recorded in two localities, Chiapas, Mexico, and the Andean Paramos in South America, S. brasiliensis reproduces year-round (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). Gestation time is variable according to location (28-44 days) (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). This species has a small mean litter size (1.2) compared to other members of the genus (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). Total length ranges form 25.0-42.0 cm (Cervantes et al. 2005).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Habitat loss by deforestation and human settlement poses a threat to this species. As artificial savanna and scrubland replaces tropical forest, S. floridanus range expands and displaces S. brasiliensis (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). This species may be at risk to predators that follow S. floridanus as it spreads new habitat that borders its own (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). The effect of deforestation on the abundance of S. brasiliensis is not well known (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). In Mexico populations decline when habitat is deforested, but S. brasiliensis is known to do well in pasture and second growth forest (Alvarez de Toro 1977).

Major Threat(s):

Habitat loss by deforestation and human settlement poses a threat to this species. As artificial savanna and scrubland replaces tropical forest, S. floridanus range expands and displaces S. brasiliensis (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). This species may be at risk to predators that follow S. floridanus as it spreads new habitat that borders its own (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). The effect of deforestation on the abundance of S. brasiliensis is not well known (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). In Mexico populations decline when habitat is deforested, but S. brasiliensis is known to do well in pasture and second growth forest (Alvarez de Toro 1977).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Sylvilagus brasiliensis is in need of a systematic survey. Its distribution remains unclear with regard to the Amazon region and most of the ecological data is from studies of rabbits in the Paramos of Venezuela (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). The effect of deforestation on abundance requires more study (Chapman and Ceballos 1990).

Conservation Actions:

Sylvilagus brasiliensis is in need of a systematic survey. Its distribution remains unclear with regard to the Amazon region and most of the ecological data is from studies of rabbits in the Paramos of Venezuela (Chapman and Ceballos 1990). The effect of deforestation on abundance requires more study (Chapman and Ceballos 1990).

Citation:	Mexican Association for Conservation and Study of Lagomorphs (AMCELA), Romero Malpica, F.J. & Rangel Cordero, H. 2008. Sylvilagus brasiliensis. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 04 December 2008.
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