Common tapeti facts for kids
The common tapeti (Sylvilagus brasiliensis), also known as the Brazilian cottontail, is a type of cottontail rabbit. It's a small to medium-sized rabbit with a short, dark tail, small hind feet, and short ears. For a long time, people thought this rabbit lived all the way from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. However, scientists have now found that many of these populations are actually different species.
Because of these new discoveries, the "true" common tapeti is now thought to live only in the Atlantic Rainforest along the coast of northeastern Brazil. Sadly, it is currently listed as "Endangered" by the IUCN, which means it's at high risk of disappearing forever.
Quick facts for kids Common tapeti |
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_-_Museo_Civico_di_Storia_Naturale_Giacomo_Doria_-_Genoa,_Italy_-_DSC02875.JPG) |
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| Hand colored stone lithograph, by John James Audubon | |
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Sylvilagus
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| Species: |
brasiliensis
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| Tapeti range (as traditionally defined, see text) | |
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Lepus brasiliensis Linnaeus, 1758 |
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Contents
Understanding the Tapeti's Family Tree
The common tapeti was first described by a famous scientist named Carl Linnaeus in 1758. He gave it the scientific name Lepus brasiliensis at that time. Besides "tapeti," people also call it the "forest cottontail" or "Brazilian cottontail."
For many years, scientists thought there were lots of different types, or subspecies, of the tapeti. Some even counted as many as 37! But over time, they realized that what they thought was one species was actually a group of very similar but separate species. This is called a "species complex."
Recently, scientists have been working to sort out these different rabbits. They've suggested that several groups once called tapeti subspecies are actually their own species. For example, there are now recognized species like Sylvilagus andinus in the Andes mountains and Sylvilagus gabbi from Panama to Mexico. This shows how much we are still learning about animals!
What Does a Tapeti Look Like?
The common tapeti is a small to medium-sized rabbit. Its body, from head to tail, is about 320 mm (13 in) long. Its tail is short, around 21 mm (0.83 in). Its hind feet are about 71 mm (2.8 in) long, and its ears are about 54 mm (2.1 in) from the notch to the tip. On average, these rabbits weigh about 934 grams (32.9 oz).
Their fur on their back is brown, with tiny black tips on the hairs, which makes them look speckled. They have a reddish-brown spot on their neck. Their belly and the underside of their tail are also reddish-brown. Female tapetis have six milk glands.
Tapeti Habits and Where They Live
The common tapeti is a shy animal that usually lives alone. It is mostly active after sunset or before sunrise, which means it is a crepuscular animal. During these times, it searches for food like grass and other plants. It has even been seen eating a type of mushroom!
These rabbits prefer to live in forests, especially near swamps or along river edges. They can also be found in areas where humans have changed the land, like gardens or farms, as long as there's still some forest nearby.
Historically, the common tapeti was thought to live in many different places. This included tropical rainforests and other types of forests in Mexico, Central America, and a large part of South America. They could be found from sea level up to very high places, about 4,800 m (15,700 ft) in the mountains. In most of these areas, the tapeti was the only type of rabbit.
Raising Young Tapetis
Female tapetis build their nests on the ground using dry grasses. These nests have a main room and a few smaller rooms connected by a tunnel.
The time it takes for a baby tapeti to develop inside its mother (called the gestation period) can be different depending on where the rabbit lives. For example, in Mexico, babies are born after about 28 days, and a mother might have three to eight young. But in the high mountains of the Andes, the gestation period is longer, about 44 days, and mothers usually have only one or two babies. In both places, tapetis can have babies all year round.
Tapetis and Viruses
Like some other rabbits, the common tapeti can carry a virus called the Myxoma virus. This virus was discovered in the 1940s by a Brazilian doctor named Henrique de Beaurepaire Rohan Aragão.
When the tapeti carries this virus, it usually doesn't get very sick. It might just get a small, harmless bump on its skin. However, this same virus can cause a very serious and often deadly disease called myxomatosis in European rabbits. This shows how some animals can carry viruses without much harm to themselves, but the viruses can be very dangerous to other types of animals.
