Brachylagus idahoensis (Merriam 1891)

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Lagomorpha, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 1, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 185-211 : 194

Brachylagus idahoensis (Merriam 1891)

[Lepus] idahoensis Merriam 1891 , N. Amer. Fauna, 5: 76.

Type Locality: "Pahsimeroi Valley [near Goldburg, Custer County], Idaho." [ USA].

Vernacular Names: Pygmy Rabbit.

Distribution: SW Oregon to EC California, SW Utah, N to SW Montana ( USA). Isolated population in WC Washington ( USA).

Conservation: U. S. ESA – Endangered for isolated population in Washington (Columbia River Basin); IUCN – Lower Risk (nt), species-wide; yet recently species is in decline.

Discussion: Formerly included in Sylvilagus ; but see Corbet (1983). Placed in the monotypic genus Brachylagus by Dawson (1967) and, together with bachmani , in the genus Microlagus by Gureev (1964:170-173); but also see Hall (1981:294), who recognized Brachylagus as a subgenus. This species is widely sympatric with Sylvilagus nuttallii , and perhaps overlaps narrowly with S. audubonii . It has been interpreted as either a primitive rabbit ( Hibbard, 1963), or as derived from Sylvilagus ( Corbet, 1983) . Reviewed by Green and Flinders (1980, Mammalian Species, 125).