Diet
The volcano rabbit feeds on green leaves in zacaton grasses, the undeveloped leaves of spiny herbs and the bark of alder trees. During the rainy season, it will also eat oats and corn from crops. The plant communities of Festuca tolucensis and Trisetum altijugum-F. tolucensis attained the largest populations of volcano rabbits. Other plant species that also are responsible for supporting the volcano rabbit are the Muhlenbergia quadidentata-Pinus hartwegii, F. tolucensis-P. hartwegeii and Pinus sp.-Alnus firmifolia (Velazquez et al, 1996). The plant communities mentioned above are the main plant communities that help to support the endangered volcano rabbit. The abundance of volcano rabbits diminishes in areas of rocks and lower vegetation coverage. They are more commonly found in higher numbers where they correspond positively with their environment of taller and denser herbs, on the other hand they were negatively affected in areas where grazing, logging or burning has taken place (Fa et al, 1992). Other common and stable food sources for the volcano rabbit include Muhlenbergia macroura, Stipa ichu, and Alnus. Grasses are very important to the volcano rabbit in just about all seasons, but especially during the wet season. During the dry season the rabbit increasingly relies heavily on consumption of shrubs, and as relies on trees as a proper nutrition source during all seasons throughout the year. R. diazi also consumes woody plants, usually shrubs during the winter months of the year. Grasses are an important part of the volcano rabbit's nesting material as it also provided a food sources the the rabbit and its young (Cervantes & Martinez, 1992).
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