Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
OrdoTherapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Subordo: Cynodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohort: Theria
Cohort: Eutheria
Cohort: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Euarchontoglires
Ordo: Lagomorpha
Familia: Leporidae
Genus: Sylvilagus
Species: Sylvilagus dicei
Name
Sylvilagus dicei Harris, 1932
References
Sylvilagus dicei – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
Vernacular names
English: Dice's Cottontail
polski: Królik dicei
Dice's cottontail (Sylvilagus dicei) is a species of cottontail rabbit in the family Leporidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama, in páramo and cloud forest habitats.[1]
Taxonomy
Dice's cottontail was first described by William P. Harris, Jr., in 1932. It was at one time thought to be a subspecies of the common tapetí or forest cottontail (Sylvilagus brasiliensis) but is now recognised as a separate species. The type locality is El Copey de Dota, in the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica, at 6,000 feet (1,800 m).[2]
Description
Dice's cottontail is one of the larger cottontail rabbits. Its back is dappled black and brown and its flanks greyish-black. The blackish tail is tiny and the underparts are dull white. It has a brown patch on its throat.[3]
Distribution and habitat
Dice's cottontail is endemic to the Cordillera de Talamanca which straddles the border between Panama and Costa Rica. Its habitat is Alpine meadows and Páramo grasslands above the tree line. It also occurs in the oak-dominated cloud forests and high elevation shrublands at an altitude of up to 3,800 metres (12,500 ft) in Cerro Chirripó.[1]
Status
The IUCN lists Dice's cottontail in its Red Book of Endangered Species as "Data Deficient" as the species has been little studied and its population trend is unknown, but in 1996, it was listed as "Endangered". The IUCN has identified a number of threats that it may face. Coyotes have become established in the area and may prey on it, and other predators may also be on the increase.[1] Degradation of the forest land is taking place as trees are cut down and the land turned to pasture. Fire is also a concern because the local inhabitants regularly burn the land for range control and this may result in loss of grass for forage and loss of suitable vegetation cover in which the cottontail can lie up by day. These factors are causing the animal's range to contract upward into the mountains; this area is a national park, which should provide some protection to the species.[1]
References
Mora, J.M.; Ruedas, L. and Smith, A.T. (2016). "Sylvilagus dicei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T21209A45180947. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T21209A45180947.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
Hoffman, R.S.; Smith, A.T. (2005). "Order Lagomorpha". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
Joseph A. (1990). Chapman; Flux, John E. C. (eds.). Rabbits, Hares and Pikas: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN. p. 101. ISBN 9782831700199.
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