lower keys marsh rabbit - online puzzles

Sylvilagus palustris hefneri, common name Lower Keys marsh rabbit, is an endangered subspecies of marsh rabbit named after Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.

General

Sylvilagus palustris hefneri was federally recognized as an endangered species on June 21, 1990. The urbanized Florida Keys have left the rabbits with a very small home range, making them more vulnerable to threats such as pollution, vehicular road kill, and predation by stray cats. Forys and Humphrey (1999) predicted a gradual decline in S. p. hefneri abundance and extinction within 50 years (of 1995). The Lower Keys marsh rabbit population is estimated to contain approximately 150 individuals. In 2008, LaFever et al. performed viability assays to determine current extinction rates. They predicted extinction within 10 years if action is not taken immediately. They recommend urgent management of predatory stray cats, and restoration of marshes as possible solutions to reduce the extinction rate of S. p.