Coastal tapeti

The coastal tapeti (Sylvilagus tapetillus), also known as the Rio de Janeiro dwarf cottontail or dwarf tapeti, is a species of cottontail rabbit native to Brazil. Known only from three specimens captured in the late nineteenth century in the Paraíba Valley, it was for a long time considered to be a smaller-sized subspecies of the common tapeti. Analysis in 2017 confirmed that it is sufficiently distinct in both appearance and genetics to be considered a species in its own right. Due to urban expansion near its habitat in the densely populated Paraíba Valley of Rio de Janeiro state, it is unclear whether or not the species still survives in the present day.