The Tres Marías cottontail rabbit, also known as the Marías Islands rabbit, includes two recognized subspecies: Sylvilagus graysoni graysoni and S. g. badminton. Appearance: Tres Marías rabbits are medium to large in size with a body length between 21 and 47 cm, a tail length between 1.5 and 6 cm and weigh between 0.2 and 2.7 kg. They are grey/brown in color with a paler colored underside. On the throat they have a patch of brown fur and the tail is brown on top and white on the underside.
Habitat: Tres Marías Cottontails are found on the Tres Marías Islands off the coast of Mexico. They live in areas with dense vegetation and are usually active at night.
Diet: Tres Marias Cottontails feed on a wide variety of vegetation, such as grasses and shrubs. During the winter months they feed on branches and bars.
Current Threat and Policies: Populations of Sylvilagus graysoni are declining as the 1987 expedition to the islands found no rabbits or evidence of activity on the islands of María Madre, María Magdalena, or María Cleofas, although a few were observed on Isla San Juanito . .
A strong ecological impact has been caused on the island by the introduction of game species, such as white-tailed deer, pigs and domestic goats, as well as domestic rats, as they all now have to compete for resources. To make matters worse, a federal prison located on Isla María Madre has led to increased human settlement and land development, which has obviously caused habitat disturbance for S. graysoni.
Some conservation policies put into practice by the Mexican government include the conversion of San Juanito Island into an ecological reserve and the total cessation of hunting practices, although it would also be highly recommended to initiate censuses and research on the species to determine the biology and the state of the population. .