Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit

A Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, photographed by the Fish and Wildlife Service

The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit is an isolated population of pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) that is native only to a single Columbia Basin area of Washington state.[1] The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit is the smallest North American rabbit. While the IUCN considers the species as a whole to be of least concern, the US Fish & Wildlife Service considers this a distinct population segment, and thus merits protections under the Endangered Species Act. The last purebred Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit died in 2008, marking the end of the pure genetic line.[2]

  1. ^ B. J. Verts; Leslie N. Carraway (15 August 1998). Land Mammals of Oregon. University of California Press. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-520-21199-5.
  2. ^ "Pygmy Rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis)". US Fish & Wildlife Service Species Profile.