Volcano Rabbit - Morphology & Anatomy

Morphology & Anatomy

The volcano rabbit’s adult weight goes up to 500g (Fa 11). Their body size and hindlimb development demonstrates how they need extra cover for evasion from predators (11). Their speediness and their hind limb development relative to their body size correlate to their necessity for evasion action (Fa 11). They are relatively slow and vulnerable in open habitats; therefore they take comfort in high, covered areas (Fa 11). They also have difficulty breeding in small enclosures (Fa 11). They create runways similar to those made by microtine rodents to navigate their habitat (Fa 11). The burrows consist of dense grass clumps, with a length of 5m and depth of 40cm (Fa 11). Their small size relates to their selective dietary habits (Fa 11). As of 1987, they were newly developed as laboratory animals for scientific research (Suzuki 2).