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Andean tapeti
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Lagomorpha
Family:	Leporidae
Genus:	Sylvilagus
Species:	S. andinus
Binomial name
Sylvilagus andinus (Thomas, 1897)
Synonyms
Sylvilagus brasiliensis andinus Thomas, 1897

The Andean tapeti (Sylvilagus andinus) or Andean cottontail is a species of cottontail rabbit native to Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador. It was previously considered a subspecies of the common tapeti (Sylvilagus brasiliensis). It serves an important ecological role as a pervasive herbivore consuming a wide variety of plant species as well as an important food source for several predators. Some characteristics of the species is a head and body length of 326-353 mm, a small tail 6-7% of its head and body length, long hindfeet of 64-81 mm, dusky appearance, a forehead suffused with brown, ashy gray cheeks and neck sides, and a whitish chin and belly. Living at high elevations in the treeless Páramo of the Andes, analysis in 2017 confirmed that it is sufficiently distinct in both appearance and genetics to be considered a species in its own right. Although widespread, it remains poorly known, as few studies have been conducted on its biology and habits as distinct from those of the tapeti

References

1. ^ Ruedas, L.A.; Smith, A.T. (2019). "Sylvilagus andinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T142541491A165117323. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T142541491A165117323.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
2. ^ Diaz, Silvia; Pacheco, Victor (2022-08-09). "Confirmation of the occurrence of Andean cottontail, Sylvilagus andinus (Thomas, 1897) (Leporidae, Lagomorpha), in Peru". Check List. 18 (4): 867–873. doi:10.15560/18.4.867. ISSN 1809-127X.
3. Ruedas; French; Silva; Platt II; Salazar-Bravo; Mora; Thompson (2017). "A prolegomenon to the systematics of South American cottontail rabbits (Mammalia, Lagomorpha, Leporidae: Sylvilagus): designation of a neotype for S. brasiliensis (Linnaeus, 1758), and restoration of S. andinus (Thomas, 1897) and S. tapetillus Thomas, 1913". University of Michigan. 205. ISSN 0076-8405.

• IUCN Red List data deficient species
• Sylvilagus
• Mammals of Brazil
• Mammals described in 1897
• Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas