Laboratory rearing of the Amami rabbits (Pentalagus furnessi Stone, 1900) in captivity

Five Amami rabbits in each sex were firstly introduced into the Central Institute for Experimental Animals. The authors intended to breed the Amami rabbits in the laboratory. During breeding, the Amami rabbits were nervous to external stimuli, easily frightened and always showed escaped behaviour. They were given pelleted foods for rabbits and pikas and also given apples and sweet potatoes as additional foods. The Amami rabbits were showed to practice coprophagy in the same way as laboratory rabbits. After introduction, they required 13 months to reach the maximum body weights which were 2.73 kg for females and 2.71 kg for males. Matings were attempted with one female and one male in newly deviced reproductive cages. By seventy-four matings, one pregnancy was produced and one child was delivered. This neonate (2 day old) had closed eyes and ears, incisors and brown short hair and weighed 100 g. Unfortunately, the pup died on the 4th day. The body length of this stage was 15 cm.