The KAIYODO "Natural monuments" Anami rabbit walkaround

Some of you have this unusual lagomorph on their shelves and already shared some pics with us but I can't resist to show you mine  

The Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi), also known as the Ryukyu rabbit, is a primitive, dark-furred rabbit which is only found on two small islands between southern Kyūshū and Okinawa in Japan.
It is regarded as a ‘living fossil’ because its physical characteristics are similar to those of fossil species from the Miocene. The Amami rabbit looks very different from a typical rabbit or hare. It has retained several primitive characteristics, such as small eyes and ears and a long snout. The rabbit’s fur is dense and woolly, and is dark-brown in colour, fading to reddish-brown on the sides and underbelly. Its body is heavily built with short limbs that end in unusually long curved claws.
It has a Head-body length of  43 to 51 cm and weight up to 2 kg.
It lives in or on the edge of old-growth forests, away from human activity. Although the rabbit has been declared as a Japanese National Monument, its existence is not widely known, even amongst the people of Japan. The species is protected from hunting, but populations have decreased in the last few decades due to extensive habitat loss and predation by introduced carnivores.

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With the SCHLEICH Mountain hare  

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