Mammals · Lagomorpha · Leporidae

Tapeti

Sylvilagus brasiliensis

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

The tapeti, or forest rabbit, is an American lagomorph with a dark brown coat and relatively short ears, adapted to dense vegetation. Unlike the European rabbit it digs no burrows: it rests by day in forms among the undergrowth and comes out at dusk to feed on grasses and shoots. It ranges from sea level to the Andean páramos above 3,000 metres. Its taxonomy is under full review, and what was for decades called a single species is being split into several.

Weight

700 g – 1.2 kg

Size

25 cm – 40 cm

Lifespan

4 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

RainforestMountainGrasslandHerbivore Nocturnal Solitary Rainforest Mountain Grassland Mammal

12countries 13parks11same family

Fun facts

It does not burrow: its young are born in a simple form lined with grass and the mother's fur, hidden in the vegetation, without the protection of a burrow.
It is the only wild rabbit that reaches the Andean páramos above 3,000 metres, a cold and exposed environment no other American lagomorph occupies.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Dense understorey, forest edges, páramo and scrub of tropical America
Sexual maturity: 6 months
Gestation / incubation: 30 days
Litter / clutch size: 2

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvilagus_brasiliensis