Leporidae Author Don E. Wilson Author Thomas E. Lacher, Jr Author Russell A. Mittermeier text 2016 2016-07-31 Lynx Edicions Barcelona Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I 107 148 book chapter 68513 10.5281/zenodo.6625539 0a6d8930-783d-44bc-a461-7a9aaefaeff3 978-84-941892-3-4 6625539 10. Annamite Striped Rabbit Nesolagus timminsi French: Lapin dAnnam / German: Annam-Streifenkaninchen / Spanish: Conejo rayado de Annamita Taxonomy. Nesolagus timminsi Averianov, Abramov & Tikhonov, 2000 , “Vietnam, Ha Tinh Province, Huong Son District, Son Kim Community, about 10 km south from village Nuoc Sot, 18°22’N, 105°13’E, altitude 200 m.” Analysis of 30 morphological characters has shown that N. timminsi and N. netscher : are morphologically similar, but there are significant differences in cranial morphometrics. Genetic analysis of mtDNA indicates that there is a considerable genetic distance between the two species comparable with the distance among leporid genera. Moreover, results suggest that N. timminsi and N. netscheri have been isolated for ¢.8 million years. At that time, sea level was ¢.150 m lower than today, connecting Sumatra, Java, and Borneo to the Asian mainland, and ancestral Nesolagus might have been distributed overthis region. Nesolagus timminsi apparently lives sympatrically with Lepus peguensis . Monotypic. Distribution. N & C Annamite Mts (Laos and Vietnam); it may occur in S Annamite Mts. Descriptive notes. There are no specific measurements available. The Annamite Striped Rabbit has black or dark brown dorsalstripes, a ferruginous rump, and short tail and ears. Externally,it closely resembles the Sumatran Striped Rabbit (N. netscheri ). Habitat. Wet evergreen forests that experience little or no dry season. Annamite Striped Rabbits generally occur on seaward facing slopes of the Annamite Mountains. Elevational range is unknown, but they were first collected at elevations of ¢.200 m. Hunters say that Annamite Striped Rabbits are relatively common at higher elevations in the mountains. A number of records come from heavily logged but not completely logged areas. A recent survey using camera traps recorded most Annamite Striped Rabbits in secondary forest. They tended to occur in areas with tall thin trees and a wide variety of plant species in the ground cover. Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species. Breeding. There is no information available for this species. Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species. Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species. Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Annamite Striped Rabbit has a decreasing population trend. It has only recently been discovered. The first evidence of the Annamite Striped Rabbit came from captured individuals offered for sale in a food market in the rural town of Ban Lak, Laos, between December 1995 and February 1996. Annamite Striped Rabbits occur at low densities, in distinct populations, and in a restricted area. Known distribution is based on only c.10 localities. Nothing is known about biology and ecology of the Annamite Striped Rabbit. Threats include habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation from logging, agriculture, and mining and intensive hunting. Although almost all mammals hunted in this region of Laos seem to have some medicinal use, there is no evidence that any medicinal trade demand exists for Annamite Striped Rabbits. They are apparently harvested to feed hunters while in the forests. Heavy hunting pressure might have deleterious effects on extant populations. One problem for the conservation of the Annamite Striped Rabbit might be that most strategies focus on remote high elevational areas, and lowlands are generally degraded by humans and lost to possible management. The Annamite Striped Rabbit inhabits border areas between Laos and Vietnam, and both governments do not actively support any conservation activities for it. Development of management plans and legislation to protect the Annamite Striped Rabbit are recommended. Research on distribution, status, biology, and ecology of the Annamite Striped Rabbit are needed to effectively protect it. Such research could change the conservation status of the Annamite Striped Rabbit from Data Deficient to Near Threatened or even Endangered on The IUCN Red List. Bibliography. Abramov et al. (2008), Averianov et al. (2000), Can et al. (2001), Hoffmann & Smith (2005), Sur ridge et al. (1999), Woodfin & Bell (2015).