Sylvilagus varynaensis Durant & Guevara 2001
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Lagomorpha
Leporidae
Sylvilagus
Sylvilagus varynaensis

description: 21.
Venezuelan Lowland Rabbit
Sylvilagus varynaensis
French: Lapin du Venezuela / German: Venezuela-Baumschwollschwanzkaninchen / Spanish: Conejo de Venezuela
Other common names: Barinas Wild Rabbit
Taxonomy. Sylvilagus varynaensis Durant & Guevara, 2001,
“Fundo Millano (8E46’LLN and 69E56’LW), 146 m elevation, 18 km NE of the town of Sabaneta, Distrito Obispos, state of Barinas,” Venezuela.
This species probably lives sympatrically with S. brasiliensis and S. floridanus. Monotypic.
Distribution. Lowlands of the Barinas, Portuguesa, and Guarico states (CE Venezuela).
Descriptive notes. Head—body 420-450 mm, tail 21-27 mm, ear 5864 mm, hindfoot 83-89 mm; weight 1.5-1.8 kg. The Venezuelan Lowland Rabbit has buffy dorsal fur, bordered with black. Nuchal patch is reddish. Eye rings are cotton-white. Outer surfaces of ears are light buff. Ventral pelage is whitish; gular patch is reddish cinnamon. Tail is reddish cinnamon above and reddish buff below. Female Venezuelan Lowland Rabbits are larger than males.
Habitat. Low shrubby, herbaceous savanna called “Escobillal,” consisting of Sida spp. and Malvastrum spp. (both Malvaceae). Savanna adjoins tropical dry forests.
Food and Feeding. The Venezuelan Lowland Rabbit feeds primarily on Sida spp.
Breeding. Reproductive season of the Venezuelan Lowland Rabbitlasts for ¢.270 days, with a peak in September-December. Gestation is c¢.35 days, and litter size averages 2-6 young/female.
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 Venezuelan Lowland Rabbit is a recently described species endemic to Venezuela, and little data are available on its distribution, population status, threats, and conservations status. It is only known from a few localities: Fundo Millano 18 km north-east of the town of Sabaneta, the type locality in Barinas, Chorrosco Bajo in Barinas 112 km east of type locality, Hato Cantaclaro 15 km north of the town of Santa Rosa, Hacienda Las Mercedes in Portuguesa 25 km west of the city of Guanare, and Finca Las Lajitas in Guarico 5 km north-west of the town of San Rafael de Orituco. Distribution of the Venezuelan Lowland Rabbit may be more extensive than what is currently known. Research is needed to clarify its distribution, followed by establishment of management plans and conservation areas. Threats are likely similar to those faced by other species of Sylvilagus in Venezuela, such as deforestation, conversion of land to agriculture, hunting, predation by feral dogs, and competition with livestock.
Bibliography. Durant & Guevara (2000, 2001, 2008), Hoffmann & Smith (2005).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Leporidae, pp. 107-148 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 121-122, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6625539