NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Barinas Wild Rabbit
Sylvilagus varynaensis Durant & Guevara, 2001
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Venezuelan lowland rabbit (Sylvilagus varynaensis) (Spanish: conejo de monte), also known as the Barinas wild rabbit (Spanish: conejo de Barinas), is a species of cottontail rabbit found in western Venezuela. The largest of the rabbits within its limited distribution, it has buff- and reddish-colored fur and eats plants, mainly from the genera Sida and Malvastrum. It is closely related to the common tapeti, a smaller and more widely distributed cottontail rabbit.
The rabbit is prey to margays, crab-eating foxes, falcons, and owls, and is also a potential host to several roundworms and flatworms. It is classified as data deficient by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, as little is known about populations of the rabbit, and much of the material used to describe the species is held privately, inhibiting further research.
Wikipedia contributors, Venezuelan lowland rabbit; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:16:14.810114+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Sylvilagus varynaensis Durant & Guevara, 2001
- Name authority
- Durant & Guevara, 2001
- Common name
- Barinas Wild Rabbit
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Lagomorpha
- Family
- Leporidae
- Genus
- Sylvilagus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderLagomorpha Brandt, 1855
- familyLeporidae Fischer, 1817
- genusSylvilagus Gray, 1867
- speciesSylvilagus varynaensis Durant & Guevara, 2001
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Sylvilagus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Andean CottontailSylvilagus andinus (Thomas, 1897) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Apollinaris' CottontailSylvilagus apollinaris Thomas, 1920 | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cane CutterSylvilagus aquaticus (Bachman, 1837) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Audubon's CottontailSylvilagus audubonii (Baird, 1858) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mexican CottontailSylvilagus cunicularius (Waterhouse, 1848) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Central American Lowland Forest CottontailSylvilagus gabbi (J. A. Allen, 1877) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Tres Marias CottontailSylvilagus graysoni (J. A. Allen, 1877) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Omilteme CottontailSylvilagus insonus (Nelson, 1904) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| San José Brush RabbitSylvilagus mansuetus Nelson, 1907 | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Dwarf TapetíSylvilagus tapetillus Thomas, 1913 | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| ConeySylvilagus transitionalis (Bangs, 1895) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Brush RabbitSylvilagus bachmani (Waterhouse, 1839) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=727753 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:53N9M. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.