I hope you are up for a little excitement today as we are heading to four different volcanoes located in Mexico. Well, I guess it won’t be too exciting since the Volcano Rabbit isn’t actually found inside of the volcano but they do live on the slopes…and who knows, maybe one of these large mountains will start spilling hot, molten, lava all over the place. Therefore, I suggest you pack your best hiking boots and maybe some fire proof clothing, just in case. All right, let’s get going before this endangered species involuntarily gets wiped off the face of the earth.
Living in the Big City Suburbs
As mentioned the Volcano Rabbit is listed as endangered but it isn’t because they live dangerously on the edges of volcanoes. Rather it has to do with the fact that they live dangerously close to the largest city on the planet, Mexico City. As a result, these fluffy, little rabbits have to deal with pollution, fires, habitat destruction and of course, hunting. Although the Volcano Rabbit is protected under Mexico law, many people don’t realize this so they continue to hunt this endangered species. So if you are reading this and you happen to be from Mexico City, please take a moment or two to pass on the word about the Volcano Rabbit.
Warning Call
Typically, when you think of a rabbit, you think big ears and a fluffy tail. Interestingly enough, when you think of the Volcano Rabbit you should think of small, round ears and no visible tail, which makes them slightly different but just as cute. As well, this particular rabbit has a typical length around 31.5 cm (12″) making it one of the smaller leporid species on the planet. As you might expect, this small, cute and fluffy animal needs to be on the constant lookout for possible predators. In fact, the species as a whole works as a large group by warning other Volcano Rabbits in the area of potential danger. While some rabbit species thump their feet to warn their friends, this particular species emits a high-pitched whistle that tells everyone to run and hide. I wonder what happens if the volcano starts to erupt? I am guessing there would be a whole lot of whistling going on.
