In the past, Yunnan rabbits were long considered a subspecies of the plateau rabbit (Lepus oiostolus). Mr. Luo Zexun, a famous rabbit scientist in my country (1981), finally recognized Yunnan rabbits as an independent species, which was later widely recognized. There are three subspecies, and whether they are all established requires further research.
Yunnan rabbits often build their nests in dense bushes or grass. They live in caves. They usually forage alone or in pairs from dusk to night. Their food is mainly tender leaves of grasses or small shrubs. They also often eat tender branches and leaves of wheat seedlings, corn seedlings, leguminous crops and sweet potatoes in farmland.
Yunnan rabbits breed in summer and autumn, producing 2-3 litters per year, with 1-4 pups per litter. One fetus was dissected in mid-May, and its fur had basically grown. A juvenile weighing 1059 grams was collected in mid-June. A pregnant female rabbit was collected in August.
Listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2018 ver 3.1 - Least Concern (LC).
