Pacific Northwest Conservation
Pygmy Rabbits Arrive at the Oregon Zoo
by Blair Csuti and Patricia Swenson

Weighing less than a pound, pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis) are the smallest rabbit in North America. They are the only species in the genus Brachylagus and are restricted to the Great Basin of the western United States. Pygmy rabbits display several traits that set them apart from cottontails (Sylvilagus) and jackrabbits (Lepus). They are the only North American rabbit that digs burrows. They also give alarm calls and other vocalizations, indicating some degree of sociality.

Relatively little is known about this species, which is too bad, because pygmy rabbits are vanishing from much of their range. One thing the Oregon Zoo does know is that pygmy rabbits are closely associated with tall, dense stands of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) growing on deep, loose soil. Pygmy rabbits eat sagebrush leaves and the shrubs provide refuge from predators. In winter, sagebrush makes up over 99% of the pygmy rabbit's diet. Its dependence on sagebrush is the main reason for its decline in Washington, Oregon, and California. Much sagebrush has been burned or converted to agriculture. Sagebrush is often cleared from large areas and replaced with exotic bunch grasses to improve livestock forage.

The pygmy rabbit is endangered in Washington, where possibly fewer than 100 survive. Genetic studies by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) suggest that their rabbits have been isolated from Idaho and Oregon populations for as long as 7,000-10,000 years. Because of this, translocating rabbits from neighboring states isn't a good option to boost Washington populations. WDFW is planning a pygmy rabbit breeding facility near Pullman. Captive-reared rabbits will be reintroduced to at least two protected areas in eastern Washington.

Since no one has successfully bred this species in captivity, WDFW has asked the Oregon Zoo to help develop pygmy rabbit husbandry protocols. Pygmy rabbits are abundant enough to be a game species in Idaho. Using Idaho rabbits as a model, the zoo studied the behavior and reproductive biology of two breeding groups in 2000-2001. The zoo passed along its experiences to WDFW and helped design their breeding program. The Oregon Zoo is happy to play a part in bringing back this vanishing species to the Northwest.

In 2002, the Zoo is breeding endangered Washington rabbits for eventual reintroduction to protected habitat in central Washington.

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