The Amami Rabbit – One of the World's Most Primitive Rabbits
- Jul 4
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 5
The Amami Islands are renowned for the array of rare and endemic species inhabiting the region, but nothing is more symbolic than the Amami rabbit.
The Amami rabbit, known as kuro usagi in Japanese, derives from an ancient lineage of rabbits that once inhabited the Eurasian continent. It is thought to have diverged from the ancestors of today's rabbits around 20 million years ago. And it is very different.
For one, it doesn't look like your typical rabbit. This island resident has very short ears (strange for a rabbit), short legs (also strange for a rabbit), and is nocturnal (again, strange for a rabbit). It is also one of the few rabbits known to produce a bark-like call. Most rabbits warn of danger by thumping their hind legs, but the Amami rabbit instead communicates with a high-pitched bark-like call when alarmed. It sounds more like a bird's alarm call than what you'd expect from a rabbit.
They also have interesting breeding habits. When the female gives birth, she prepares a separate nursery burrow for her young. Every second night or so, she visits the burrow to feed them before returning to her own burrow for some peace and quiet (or at least that's how I like to think of it). I don't know of any other rabbit species that does this.
Although they have very short hind legs for a rabbit, they are exceptionally good at climbing the steep slopes that make up much of Amami's landscape. They do this with the help of their large, thick claws.
Its Japanese name, kuro usagi, means "black rabbit", although its fur is usually a dark brown with reddish tinges. As a nocturnal species, it spends much of the night foraging. It often feeds in open areas, partly as a precaution against the habu pit viper. This is why it is sometimes seen along roadsides, which unfortunately also makes it vulnerable to being hit by vehicles. Once pushed to the brink of extinction through deforestation and the introduction of the small Indian mongoose, the Amami rabbit is now making a steady recovery thanks to conservation efforts and the successful eradication of the mongoose from Amami Oshima.
Today, the Amami rabbit is found only on Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima, making it one of Japan's most distinctive endemic mammals.
If you're visiting Amami Oshima and would like to learn more about the island's unique wildlife, I offer both private day tours and night tours. The Amami rabbit is one of the highlights of the night tour, while the day tours explore the island's forests, beaches, culture and other endemic wildlife.
