The Sumatran striped rabbit (Nesolagus netscheri), also known as the Sumatra short-eared rabbit or Sumatran rabbit, is a species of rabbit found in the montane forests of the Barisan Mountains in northwestern Sumatra and surrounding areas. Similar in size to the European rabbit, but with shorter limbs and muzzle and a broader head, the Sumatran striped rabbit is distinguished by the black or dark brown stripes running across its yellowish grey body. Its close relative, the recently discovered Annamite striped rabbit, has similar fur patterns, but is only found on the Laos–Vietnam border. Like other rabbits, the Sumatran striped rabbit eats plants. It prefers the vegetation of those in the genus Cyrtandra, but will feed on fallen fruit and plants in the Araceae family as well. It avoids cultivated fruits and grains. Studies on the rabbit suggest that it is a solitary, nocturnal animal. Little else is known about its ecology. The Sumatran striped rabbit has been described as the rarest rabbit in the world. It has been rarely seen, despite extensive studies in its habitat to capture the rabbit and other rare species on camera traps. The species is threatened by habitat loss, as much of the habitable forest it lives in has been cut down for timber and to grow tea and coffee. The rabbits are also smuggled out of the country to be sold as exotic pets. The species' classification has varied since it was initially evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1994, but as of 2019 it is considered a data deficient species.
Etymology and taxonomy German biologist Hermann Schlegel first described the Sumatran striped rabbit in 1880, based on a specimen provided to the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie by E. Netscher. Netscher had obtained the specimen while working in Padang Pandjang, and Schlegel named the species, Lepus netscheri, after him. It was given the type locality of "Sumatra: Padang-Padjang" at an elevation of 2,000 feet (610 metres). Swiss naturalist Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major erected a new genus, Nesolagus, for the Sumatran striped rabbit in 1899, which was recognised by the American mammalogist Marcus Ward Lyon Jr. in his 1904 work that reclassified many of the leporids. The vernacular terminology for "rabbit" in Indonesia is either borrowed from other languages to refer to foreign species of rabbit (arnab from the Arabic أرنب and kelinci from the Dutch word konijntje) or not distinguished from the word used to describe felines (kuching, with rabbits or hares known as e.g. kuching belanda or kuching tapai). Local Sumatrans did not have a name for the Sumatran rabbit at the time of its discovery, as they were not aware that the species even existed. Some have reportedly referred to the species as a "marmot". The species is closely related to the Annamite striped rabbit (Nesolagus timminsi), which was discovered in 1996 and described in 2000. Though the rabbit species are similar in appearance, genetic testing indicates that they have been isolated from each other for roughly 8 million years. A likely ancestor to both the Sumatran and Annamite striped rabbits is the extinct species Nesolagus sinensis, of which fossils have been discovered in southwest China. No subspecies of the Sumatran striped rabbit are known.
Description The Sumatran striped rabbit has an adult weight of 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb) and is between 37 and 39 centimetres (14.6 and 15.4 in) in length, with a tail 17 millimetres (0.67 in) long, a skull length of 67–74 mm (2.6–2.9 in), hind foot length of 67–87 mm (2.6–3.4 in), and ear length of 34–45 mm (1.3–1.8 in). Its yellowish grey body is marked by stripes of dark brown or black. Towards the rump, the rabbit's base color tends towards a rusty brown. It has whitish underparts, including the chin and insides of the legs. Its black ears are so short as to reach only to the eye when folded forwards. The limbs are grey-brown and the tail, notably short and having only 12 bones, is reddish. Most leporids have between 19 and 24 bones in their tail. Coloration patterns vary between individuals. Their fur is soft and dense, overlaid by longer coarse guard hairs. The skin is notably delicate. One specimen was found from South Sumatra that had unusually long ears and shorter feet and tail. Like other leporids, it has a dental formula of 2.0.3.31.0.2.3 × 2 = 28—two pairs of upper and one pair of lower incisors, no canines, three upper and two lower premolars on each side, and three upper and lower molars on either side of the jaw. Sumatran rabbits can be differentiated from the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), which is sometimes kept in captivity in Sumatra and is of a similar size, by their stripes and slightly shorter ears. The limbs of the Sumatran striped rabbit are also shorter, the head broader, and the muzzle less pronounced compared to the European rabbit. Compared to the Annamite striped rabbit, Sumatran striped rabbits have a shorter skull length, their second upper premolar is shorter, and it has a larger foramen lacerum (a hole in the base of its skull). The two species are otherwise very similar in appearance.
Behaviour and ecology The Sumatran striped rabbit is nocturnal, spending the day nearly motionless when observed in captivity. A unique genus of fleas, Nesolagobius, relies upon it as a host. Its social structure is largely unknown, but it is thought to be a solitary animal. Compared to other rabbits, it is a slow-moving species, and may freeze on discovery. Nothing is known about its reproduction. The rabbit rests in the burrows of other animals and the hollows of trees. It usually eats the stalk and leaves of understory plants, but captive rabbits will eat grain and tropical fruits. Its preferred food is the vegetation of plants in the genus Cyrtandra, but other plants such as those in the Araceae family and native fallen fruits are eaten if necessary.
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