Scientific American slide show tells and shows seven species-
Slide Show: Rabbits at Risk. By Coco Ballantyne. Scientific American.
One of the rabbits in the slide show, the Columbia Basin pygmy, is now in fact extinct. Brian Ertz and KT have written much on this forum about its demise.
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is President of the Western Watersheds Project.
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Ralph –
Thank you for posting this. The hispid hare is marvelous.
Just for the record: I wonder if the rabbit pictured as a Columbia Basin pygmy really is one of the now-extinct DPS rabbits? Or if the rabbit in the photos is a “cross” with an Idaho rabbit? Or a “pure” Idaho rabbit – especially given the snow in the picture. The photographer is Jim Witham, married to a U of I researcher, who I don’t recall seeing any Columbia Basin DPS rabbit photos from before …
The slideshow also says Washington state continues to get pygmy funding – now after the DPS is extinct. This is the same state where its Game Department(WDFW) is seeking to impose cattle grazing on remaining bits of ungrazed shrubsteppe lands. The Game Department is busily destroying the possibility of having viable sage-grouse, pygmy rabbit or other shrubsteppe wildlife populations ever again in that state. Maybe it is all about researcher “pork”? Are they “hybridizing” super-rabbits, or something?
My guess is Hef’s other bunnies can, guess what, Swim! (Sorry, Kt, I couldn’t resist).
DB, Well, whoever or whatever it takes to get some recognition and protection for rabbits! Is there a Himalayan or Hyderabad Hugh Hefner out there to try to fund education – or something – to stop burning of the hispid hare habitat?