'Lost' Species of Rabbit Resurfaces After More Than a Century, Helps Scientists to Create Strategies to Ensure its Survival

Researchers recently captured images of an Omiltemi cottontail rabbit in Mexico and can't keep calm. The spotting was crucial because scientists had not located this rabbit since 1904, stated Newsweek. The rare creature was recorded hopping around in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains. The Omiltemi cottontail rabbit stands out because of its short stature and fur color compared to other rabbits in the area. Surprisingly this species has a short and black tail, not fluffy white which is usually expected from cottontail rabbits.

Before this finding, researchers believed this rabbit had suffered such a devastating decline because of habitat loss. This species primarily lives in high-altitude conifer forests, which have been impacted by human activity. They believe this spotting would pave the way for other scientists to understand this creature's ecological role and formulate strategies for protecting this species.
Since 2019, a group of researchers has been in pursuit of the Omiltemi cottontail rabbit. At first, they searched in places where these rabbits had been documented by naturalist, Edward William Nelson, in 1904. After not finding encouraging results, the team shifted to remote high-elevation areas, the habitat of these rabbits. In the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains, they targeted 10 spots specifically and with the aid of interviews, camera traps, and local hunters managed to spot the rabbit in seven of them. As per experts, locals have known about the existence of Omiltemi cottontail rabbits in the area for many years. Some communities also feasted on this species.
Does the Omiltemi Cottontail Rabbit--lost to science for more than a century--still exist in the Mexican mountains? A team of researchers aims to find out. #InternationalRabbitDay https://t.co/yK33IO5WH1
— Re:wild (@rewild) September 26, 2020
Researchers were ecstatic to locate this elusive rabbit. "Just knowing that it had been 100 years, and no other scientist had seen a live [Omiltemi] rabbit is incredible," José Alberto Almazán-Catalán, president of the Instituto para el Manejo y Conservación de la Biodiversidad (INMACOB) said. "It's totally different from the regular cottontail, and I was completely amazed and very happy to have had that opportunity to see one."
The team garnered widespread appreciation for their work. "This search was full of unexpected turns and employed everything from interviews to drones to find this little rabbit. We applaud these tenacious and comprehensive efforts as they provide crucial updates for our partner IUCN Red List assessors to better make recommendations for species survival," Christina Biggs, lost species officer for Rewild said. "Alberto and his team are helping fill a huge knowledge gap to make sure that the Omiltemi cottontail rabbit is never lost to science again.
Currently, the Omiltemi cottontail rabbit has only been confirmed in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains. Researchers are aiming to understand the rabbit's ecological role, population size, and reproductive pattern. Experts believe that to protect the species a collaborative effort needs to be launched between authorities, local civilians, and organizations like the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP). The location where this rabbit was spotted falls under the Sierra Tecuani Biosphere Reserve, but experts want to have directed efforts at protecting this species. Efforts in that direction are underway.