CONTENTS

Living Organisms / Animalia / Craniata / Mammalia / Lagomorpha / Leporidae / Nesolagus / Species

Nesolagus netscheri - Sumatran striped rabbit (Click photographs/illustrations for full picture & further details)

INDEX - INFORMATION AVAILABLE

Alternative Names (Synonyms)

• Conejo de Sumatra (Spanish). (W2.Apr08.w35)
• Lapin de Sumatra (French). (W2.Apr08.w35)
• Sumatran rabbit. (B51, B285.w5c, B605.10.w10, W2.Apr08.w35)
• Sumatran short-eared hare. (B285.w5c)
• Sumatran short-eared rabbit. (W2.Apr08.w35)
• Sumatra Short-eared rabbit. (B147)

Names for new-borns / juveniles

• Kitten (B285.w5b)

Names for males

• Buck (B285.w5d)

Names for females

• Doe (B605.1.w1)

General Appearance

• Fairly small species. (B147)
• Approximately the same size as a Oryctolagus cuniculus - European rabbit . (B605.10.w10)
• "...this rabbit is immediately distinguished by its wide black or dark brown stripes on a yellowish grey background that becomes rusty brown towards the rear. The fur on the underparts, below the chin and on the inside of the legs is whitish." (B605.10.w10)

Newborn: --

Similar Species

• Compared with a European rabbit [Oryctolagus cuniculus - European rabbit ], the head is broader and the muzzle shorter, and the legs are also shorter." (B605.10.w10)

Sexual Dimorphism

References

Species Authors & Referees

• See: DIRECTORY- Organisations working with Rabbits and their Relatives

• Rabbits, Hares and Pikas Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan
• See also: The Electronic Library- further reading for "Rabbits and their Relatives: Health & Management"

Husbandry Information

Notes

• --

Management Techniques

• Accommodation Design for Mammals
• Mammal Behavioural Requirements
• Food and Feeding for Mammals
• Mammal Handling & Movement
• Mammal Identification
• Preventative Medicine for Mammals
• Rearing of Mammals
• Reproductive Management of Mammals
• Management of Unwanted or Illegally Held Animals

Measurement & Weight

Notes

Specific Nesolagus netscheri Information

LENGTH
Adult: 

• 37-39 cm. (B285.w5c)
• 368-417 mm. (B147, B605.10.w10)

Newborns: --

HEIGHT
Adults and sub-adults: --
Juveniles: --

WEIGHT
Adult: 

• 1.5 kg. (B605.10.w10)

Newborns: --

GROWTH RATE --

Head and Neck

Notes

GENERAL HEAD STRUCTURE:
Adult:  

Specific Nesolagus netscheri Information

• This species has a relatively broad head and short muzzle. (B605.10.w10)
• Ear length: 4.3-4.5 cm. (B147, B285.w5c)
• Skull length: 67-74 mm. (B605.10.w10)

Newborn: --

DENTITION:

General Information

• Rabbits and hares have a total of 28 teeth. (B285.w5a)
  • The dental formula for rabbits and hares is i 2/1, c 0/0, pm 3/2, m 3/3 x 2 = 28. (B147, B285.w5a)
  • This differs slightly in Pentalagus furnessi - Amami rabbit, with the molars sometimes being 2/3. (B147, B623.w3)
• The lower tooth rows are closer together than the upper tooth rows. (B147)
• Lagomorphs differ from rodents by having two pairs of upper incisors rather than just the one pair. The additional set of incisors are called peg teeth and are found directly behind the long pair in the upper jaw. (B147, B285.w5a, B605.1.w1)
• At birth, lagomorphs actually have three pairs of upper incisors, but they quickly lose the outer incisor on each side. (B147)
• The incisors are covered completely by enamel. (B147)
• The upper incisors' roots are found in the skull's premaxillary bones. However, the length of the lower incisors' roots varies. (B147)
  • [Note: lagomorphs have teeth which grow throughout their lives. For this reason the portion of the teeth which is not exposed (not above the gum line) is strictly speaking not a "root"; however, it is sometimes convenient to describe it as a root.]
• The first upper incisors have a straight cutting edge. (B147)
• The peg teeth lack a cutting edge. (B147)

EYES:
Adult:

General Information

• Lagomorph eyes are positioned such that they allow for good broad-field vision. (B285.w5a)
• Hares and rabbits have large eyes which are adapted to both their crepuscular and nocturnal activity patterns. (B285.w5b)
• Leporids have "large eyes to increase visual acuity in dim light." (B430.w2)

Newborn: --

EARS:

Specific Nesolagus netscheri Information

• Short. (B147, B605.10.w10)
• Ear length:
  • 4.3-4.5 cm. (B147, B285.w5c)
  • 34-45 mm. (B605.10.w10)
• Only reach to the eye when folded forward. (B605.10.w10)

Legs, Spine and Tracks

Notes

• Hind foot length: 67-87 mm. (B605.10.w10)
• Legs are shorter than those of the Oryctolagus cuniculus - European rabbit. (B605.10.w10)

Tail

Notes

• Length: 1.7 cm. (B147, B285.w5c, B605.10.w10)
• Inconspicuous. (B147)
• The tail contains 12 bones, and is often not visible as it is so short. (B605.10.w10)

Skin / Coat / Pelage

Notes

Specific Nesolagus netscheri Information

Adult: 

• The underfur is soft and dense, and is overlaid by longer, harsher hairs. (B147)
• This species has soft fur which is relatively short. (B605.10.w10)
• The skin is delicate and is easily damaged. (B605.10.w10)
• "It has the most definite pattern of any wild lagomorph." (B147)
• "...body from buff to gray, the rump bright rusty with broad dark stripes from the muzzle to the tail, from the ear to the chin, curving from the shoulder to the rump, across the upper part of the hind legs, and around the base of the hind foot." (B285.w5c)
• Upperparts: buffy gray, with several brown stripes. A middorsal stripe extends from the snout to the tail. "Another broad stripe curves from the shoulder upward to the rump region, a third runs from the rump down onto the hind leg, and there is a narrow stripe running from the shoulder partway down the upper foreleg."  (B147)
• Underparts: Dark brown on underside of neck, with all other underparts being buffy white. (B147)
• Rump: Bright red. (B147)
• Tail: Bright red. (B147)
• Limbs: Grey-brown. (B147)
• Ears: Black. (B605.10.w10)
• "...this rabbit is immediately distinguished by its wide black or dark brown stripes on a yellowish grey background that becomes rusty brown towards the rear. The fur on the underparts, below the chin and on the inside of the legs is whitish." (B605.10.w10)

Adult Colour variations:

• Colouration is variable. (B285.w5c, B605.10.w10)
• The stripes at the front may be reduced or even absent in some individuals. (B605.10.w10)

Newborn / Juvenile: --

Detailed Anatomy Notes
(Summary information provided for pertinent species-specific data cross-referenced in Wildpro)

Notes

Female reproductive tract

General Information

• Female lagomorphs have between four and ten mammary glands (B147)

Male reproductive tract

General Information

• Males lack a baculum (B147)
• Testes are in the scrotum located in front of the penis (B147)

Specific Nesolagus netscheri Information

• The tail only contains 12 bones, which is unusual for a leporid species. (B605.10.w10)

Natural Diet

Notes

NATURAL DIET:

General Information

• Lagomorphs only eat vegetation, mainly grasses and other herbaceous plants. Bark from young trees and small shrub stems may be eaten when food supplies are scarce. (B147, B285.w5c, B430.w2)

Specific Nesolagus netscheri Information

• Feeds on juicy stalks and leaves (B147, B285.w5c)

• Feeds on certain forest undergrowth plants (stalks and leaves). (B147)

• Captive populations:

  • Ate: Cooked rice, bread, ripe bananas and young maize. Sometimes ate pineapple. (B147, B605.10.w10)

  • Would not eat: various cultivated vegetables, roots and bark of various trees. (B147, B605.10.w10)

• Feeds on plants that make up the forest understorey, preferrably Cyrtandra. (B605.10.w10)

• "Aracea (Homalomena) was accepted; and Synedrella nodiflora, Ipomoea batatas, Jussieua suffruticosa, Polygonum, Tradescantia, Elatostemma, Hemigraphis colorata and Trifolium spp. were eaten reluctantly." (B605.10.w10)

• Reports from Amsterdam Zoo where a Sumatran striped rabbit was kept in August-September 1895 indicate that this species at beans, bread, carrots and radishes, as well as the young shoots of beech, elm and oak. (B605.10.w10)

QUANTITY EATEN: --
STUDY METHODS: --

Hibernation / Aestivation

Notes

Haematology / Biochemistry

Notes

HAEMATOLOGY: --

BIOCHEMISTRY: --

Detailed Physiology Notes
(Summary information provided for pertinent species-specific data cross-referenced in WILDPro)

Notes

Note: There is very little data specific to this species so the details below are from general lagomorph and leporid information.

METABOLISM (TEMPERATURE): --

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM (RESPIRATION): --

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM (PULSE/HEART RATE): --

GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM (FAECES AND GUT MOTILITY):

General Information

• Lagomorphs have digestive systems  which are adapted for processing large quantities of vegetation. (B285.w5a)
• Lagomorphs are well adapted for obtaining the greatest possible value from their food. They produce two types of fecal material: moist pellets and dry pellets. The moist pellets are expelled and then eaten (a behaviour known as coprophagy (B285.w5a)); this is done with little or no chewing, and as a result the majority of the food passes through the digestive tract twice (this is thought to have the same function as 'chewing the cud' in ruminants). The dry fecal pellets are not eaten. (B147)

URINARY SYSTEM (URINE): --

CHROMOSOMES: --

MUSCULO-SKELETAL SYSTEM: --

SPECIAL SENSES AND VOCALISATIONS:

General Information

• All lagomorphs use scent products secreted from special glands. (B285.w5a) These glands are located under the chins and in the groin, and are believed to play a key role in sexual communication, as well as in signalling social status in some gregarious species. (B285.w5b)
• Whereas pikas tend to be more vocal, rabbits and hares rely strongly on scent rather than sound as a means of communication. (B285.w5b)
• High-pitched distress squeals are emitted by leporids when captured by a predator, and specific alarm calls are produced in five rabbit species. (B285.w5b, B430.w2)
• Some rabbit species thump the ground with their hind feet when faced with danger (B285.w5b, B430.w2); this reaction is thought to be a warning to nestlings underground. (B285.w5b)
• The conspicuous white underside present on the tails of some rabbit species can act as a visual warning to other individuals when fleeing from a predator. These species tend to be found in more open habitats.(B285.w5b)

Feeding Behaviour

Notes

• Lagomorphs are well adapted for obtaining the greatest possible value from their food. They produce two types of fecal material: moist pellets and dry pellets. The moist pellets are expelled and then eaten; this is done with little or no chewing, and as a result the majority of the food passes through the digestive tract twice (this is thought to have the same function as 'chewing the cud' in ruminants). The dry fecal pellets are not eaten. (B147)

Specific Nesolagus netscheri Information

• Only feeds in the forest understorey, and not in clearings. (B605.10.w10)
• Only feeds at night. (B605.10.w10)

Parental Behaviour

Notes

Note: There is very little data specific to this species so the details below are from general leporid information.

• Male leporids are not generally involved in care of the young. However, if adult females attack young leporids, males will intervene, a behaviour known as 'policing'. (B285.w5b)
• Even maternal care of the young is not particularly prominent in leporids, hence this reproductive strategy is known as 'absentee parentism'. (B285.w5a)
• Leporids demonstrate an unusual system of nursing; the young are suckled only briefly (often less than five minutes) just once every 24 hours. (B285.w5b)
• It is thought that the lack of social contact between the mother and her young is a strategy which diminishes the chances of attracting the attention of predators. (B285.w5b)
• The entrances to breeding tunnels are carefully re-sealed following each bout of suckling (B285.w5b)

Social Behaviour / Territoriality / Predation / Learning

Notes

Note: There is very little data specific to this species so the details below are from general leporid information.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR:

General Information

• Rabbits are solitary to gregarious. (B430.w2)

PREDATOR AVOIDANCE:

General Information

• Rabbits use dense cover to hide from predators. (B285.w5b)

POPULATION DENSITIES: --

HOME RANGES AND DISTANCES TRAVELLED: --

TERRITORIALITY:

General Information

• The majority of hares and rabbits are non-territorial; some hares occupy home ranges of up to 300 ha (740 acres). ranges of individuals may overlap in favoured feeding grounds. (B285.w5b)

Sexual Behaviour

Notes

• All lagomorphs use scent products secreted from special glands. (B285.w5a) These glands are located under the chins and in the groin, and are believed to play a key role in sexual communication, as well as in signalling social status in some gregarious species. (B285.w5b)

Activity Patterns, Self-grooming and Navigation

Notes

ACTIVITY PATTERNS: --

SELF-GROOMING:  --

CIRCADIAN RHYTHM: 

Specific Nesolagus netscheri Information

• Strictly nocturnal. (B147, B285.w5c, B605.10.w10)
• Rests in holes or burrows (not of its own making) during the day. (B147, B285.w5c, B605.10.w10)
• Only feed at night. (B605.10.w10)
• Is nearly motionless during the day. (B605.10.w10)

SPEED OF MOVEMENT:  

Specific Nesolagus netscheri Information

• "Nesolagus does not seem to be as quick in its movements as Lepus capensis [Lepus capensis - Cape hare]." (B147)
• Captive individuals of this species appeared to move more slowly than European hares [Lepus europaeus - Brown hare]. (B605.10.w10)

NAVIGATION: --

General Habitat Type

Notes

• Montane forest. (B51, B285.w5c, B605.10.w10)
• Dense montane forest situated on rich volcanic soil. (B605.10.w10)
• Found in forests at altitudes of between 600 and 1,600 m. (B147, B605.10.w10)
• This species only lives in remote areas of forest. It may be due to this that the local people do not have a name for it, and are unaware that it exists. (B605.10.w10)
• Originally thought to live in rice fields, but this is now believed to be incorrect. (B605.10.w10)

Nests / Burrows / Shelters

Notes

• Uses holes and burrows, but does not make them itself. (B285.w5c, B605.10.w10)
• Hides in the base of trees in dark areas. (B605.10.w10)
• Did not dig in the ground when in captivity. (B605.10.w10)

Distribution and Movement (Migration etc.)

Notes

• Sumatra. (B51, B607.w20)
• This species is restricted to the Barisan Mountains in west and southwest Sumatra. (B605.10.w10)
• One sighting was made in 1972 in Gunung Leuser National Park in northwest Sumatra. A further possible sighting was made in 1978 near Mount Kerinci. "Nearly all the records are from coffee or tea estates where rabbits were seen as the forest was felled, between 600m and 1,600m."  (B605.10.w10)
• "W Sumatra (1^o-4^oS) between 600-1,400m (2,000-4,600ft) in Barisan range." (B285.w5c)
• "...recorded only from the highlands of the Barisan Range in western and southwestern Sumatra." (B147)
• The local people appear to be unaware of the existence of this species, and as such its distribution may be more widespread than currently thought. (B605.10.w10)

Species variation

Notes

• This species was originally classified under Lepus and was given a separate genus. (B605.10.w10)
• "The relationship with other leporids is very distinct and it is regarded as a primitive form with no close relatives, which is supported by the fact that it carries a unique genus of flea, Nesolagobius." (B605.10.w10)

Conservation Status

Notes

WILD POPULATION - IMPORTANCE: 

• This species is thought to be the rarest lagomorph. (B605.10.w10)
• The local people appear to be unaware of its existence, and as such its distribution may be greater than currently thought. However, despite millions of people living on the island, extensive forest clearance and the occurrence of many detailed surveys for other rare species, no rabbits have been encountered, thus supporting the current view that this is an extremely rare species.(B605.10.w10)
• "...only a dozen museum specimens exist, collected between 1880 and 1916. Since these early collections there has been only one confirmed sighting...and two photographic records." (B607.w20)
• In 1996, there were thought to be fewer than 250 individuals remaining. (B147)
• "A survey of Sumatra in 1984 located only three places where local people knew of rabbits, but in one case there may have been confusion with feral European rabbits (Oryctolagus) [Oryctolagus cuniculus - European rabbit] and in another the area had been cleared of forest by 1989." (B147)
• "Discovery of a population and its protection pending a widespread survey for the rabbit is extremely urgent." (B605.10.w10)

GENERAL LEGISLATION: --

CITES LISTING:

• Appendix I. (B147)

RED-DATA LIST STATUS:

• IUCN - Critically Endangered. (W2.Apr08.w35)

THREATS:  

• "Clearing of indigenous forests for cultivation appears to have eliminated this rabbit from areas in which it was once relatively abundant." (B147)
• Clearing of its forest habitat for tea and coffee plantations, as well as settlements created by people moving to Sumatra from Java. (B605.10.w10)

PEST STATUS / PEST POPULATIONS: --

CAPTIVE POPULATIONS: 

• Thought to survive quite well in captivity. (B147)

TRADE AND USE: --