Beverly L. Jenkins

哥倫比亞盆地的侏儒兔是世界上最小的，也許也是最稀有的兔子品種。它的體重不到500克。

The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit isthe smallest and perhaps the rarest rabbitbreed （品種） in the world. It is native tojust one part of the Washington State Area，and weighs under 500 grams.

There are plenty of tiny domesticrabbit breeds to choose from if yourelooking for an adorable pet rabbit， but thetiniest of them all is actually a wild breedthat doesnt make a great pet. The ColumbiaBasin pygmy rabbit is skittish and nervous，but the main reason why youll most likelynever own one is its critically endangeredstatus. The breed was declared endangeredin the wild in 2001， when the last 14specimens were scooped up from theirnative habitat and put into a captivebreeding program.

Despite the best efforts of scientists，the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit did notbreed as well as expected in captivity （圈養(yǎng)）， partially due to inbreeding within thetiny population. The last pure?bred maleand female died many years ago. The pureDNA of the breed died with them， butconservationists managed to save thebreed by cross?mixing it with the Idahopygmy rabbit.

Adult pygmy rabbits weigh between375 and 500 grams， and have a body lengthof between 23.5 and 29.5 centimeters withfemales being slightly larger than males.There are no records of domesticatedpygmy rabbits， and with their numbers inthe wild still critically low， we probablywont hear of them as pets anytime soon.

Reading Check

Why did the Columbia Basin pygmyrabbit breed as well as expected in cap?tivity according to the text？

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