Pygmy rabbit, mondo adorable
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Meet the pygmy rabbit, the smallest of the species of rabbits and hares native to North America (the little guys usually weigh 0.8 to 1.1 pounds). Their population is threatened but they’re getting an assist in the form of a captive breeding program, according to Wikipedia:
The last male purebred Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit, found only in Douglas County, Washington, died March 30, 2006, at the Oregon Zoo in Portland. The last purebred female died in 2008. A crossbreeding program conducted by the Oregon Zoo, Washington State University and Northwest Trek is attempting to preserve the genetic line by breeding surviving females with the Idaho Pygmy Rabbit.
Pygmy rabbits are one of few rabbit species that dig their own burrows.
--Lindsay Barnett