The world's smallest rabbit

Beverly L.Jenkins

The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit is the smallest and perhaps the rarest rabbit breed (品种) in the world.It is native to just one part of the Washington State Area,and weighs under 500 grams.

There are plenty of tiny domestic rabbit breeds to choose from if you're looking for an adorable pet rabbit,but the tiniest of them all is actually a wild breed that doesn't make a great pet.The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit is skittish and nervous,but the main reason why you'll most likely never own one is its critically endangered status.The breed was declared endangered in the wild in 2001,when the last 14 specimens were scooped up from their native habitat and put into a captive breeding program.

Despite the best efforts of scientists,the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit did not breed as well as expected in captivity (圈养),partially due to inbreeding within the tiny population.The last pure-bred male and female died many years ago.The pure DNA of the breed died with them,but conservationists managed to save the breed by cross-mixing it with the Idaho pygmy rabbit.

Adult pygmy rabbits weigh between 375 and 500 grams,and have a body length of between 23.5 and 29.5 centimeters with females being slightly larger than males.There are no records of domesticated pygmy rabbits,and with their numbers in the wild still critically low,we probably won't hear of them as pets anytime soon.

Reading Check

Why did the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit breed as well as expected in captivity according to the text?