The classification status of the Tarim rabbit is stable, but there is a lot of controversy about which species group it belongs to. The number of Tarim rabbits is small. They adapt to a dry climate with little rain (annual rainfall is less than 100mm) and small oases with summer temperatures as high as 39℃. They are typical desert animals, active at dawn and dusk, and their activity time varies with the seasons.
The Tarim rabbit is generally active in the morning and dusk, but there are certain changes with the seasons. In winter, in order to avoid enemies, they only come out to forage before dawn and after dusk. They mostly move around in soft sand dunes with red willows, digging the roots of plants such as reeds, ramie, licorice, and camel thorn for food, and hide under bushes during the day. In summer, they often come out during the day, often gathering at the riverside to drink water, and like to eat the bark of shrubs and semi-shrubs, young branches, and green grass.
Summer is the breeding season for Tarim rabbits, and the pursuit and courtship activities between males and females can last from February to July. Females breed 2 to 3 litters each year, with 2 to 5 cubs per litter. Newborn cubs are covered with fur, open their eyes, and can move. The lactation period is only 3 to 5 days, and they can leave the female and live independently.
Based on the estimated 10,000 remaining in the remote suburbs of counties around the Tarim Basin, the number is about 200,000.
In February 2021, it was included in the second level of the "List of National Key Protected Wildlife in China".
