The world's smallest rabbit is at the center of a new legal fight that conservation groups say could have broad implications for sagebrush ecosystems across the Mountain West.
Environmental advocates sued the Trump administration last week, arguing federal wildlife officials are years behind on deciding whether the pygmy rabbit should receive protections under the Endangered Species Act.
The tiny rabbit — small enough to fit in the palm of your hand — lives in sagebrush habitat across eight Western states: Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, California, Oregon, and Washington.
Conservation groups say that habitat is increasingly threatened by wildfire, invasive grasses, oil and gas development, and climate change.
Greta Anderson, deputy director of the Western Watersheds Project, said the lawsuit is about more than a single species.
"When pygmy rabbits are in trouble, it's because the habitat is at risk," Anderson said. "And in this case, we know that the sagebrush sea is shrinking every year due to development, fires, invasive species, et cetera."
The lawsuit stems from a petition conservation groups filed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2023 seeking to list the pygmy rabbit under the Endangered Species Act.
In early 2024, the agency found the petition presented substantial scientific evidence suggesting federal protections for the species may be warranted. That triggered a legal deadline for the service to make a final determination by March 2024.
A federal listing could require agencies to more closely evaluate how activities like energy development, road building, and livestock grazing affect pygmy rabbit habitat on public lands.
But conservation groups say the agency missed its deadline. The lawsuit cites Fish and Wildlife Service planning documents indicating the agency does not expect to complete a final listing determination until 2028 — roughly four years later than required under the Endangered Species Act.
Anderson said the delay could leave vulnerable sagebrush habitat without additional federal protections for years.
She added that the ecosystem supports hundreds of species across the West, including mule deer and greater sage-grouse, making the fight over the pygmy rabbit much bigger than the animal itself.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between KUNR, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, KJZZ in Arizona and NPR, with additional support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
Copyright 2026 KUNR Public Radio
