The smallest rabbit in the world, which barely weighs a pound, may get federal protections from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to its dwindling numbers across the West, including in Utah.
Environmental and conservation groups filed a petition with the federal agency, which agreed to review the document for potential action.
“It’s never ‘good news’ that species are found to be at risk of extinction, but we’re pleased that the pygmy rabbit is getting the attention it deserves from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and we’re optimistic that federal protection can help reverse the alarming downward population trends,” said Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project.
The species is threatened by livestock grazing, oil and gas extraction, invasive nonnative grasses and wildfire. Pygmy rabbits require intact sagebrush for virtually all of their winter diet and for cover from predators, according to the conservation groups. They also need areas with deep soil for constructing burrows where they shelter from predators and safeguard their babies.