Andean tapeti

The Andean tapeti, Sylvilagus andinus, also called the Andean cottontail, is a cottontail rabbit native to Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador. It was previously considered a subspecies of the common tapeti, but an analysis in 2017 confirmed that it is sufficiently distinct in appearance and genetics to be a species in its own right. It lives at high elevations in the treeless paramo of the Andes. It has a head and body length of 326 to 353 millimetres, a small tail 6 to 7 percent of that length, long hindfeet of 64 to 81 millimetres, a dusky appearance, a forehead suffused with brown, ashy gray cheeks and neck sides, and a whitish chin and belly. It is a pervasive herbivore that eats a wide variety of plants and an important food source for several predators. Although widespread, it remains poorly known, as few studies have examined its biology and habits.