New England Cottontail Fact Sheet

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service New England Cottontail Sylvilagus transitionalis

Disappearing rabbit trick Why would a rabbit, the epitome of prolific breeding, be considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act? The New England cottontail is in just this predicament. Its population numbers are declining. As recently as 1960, New England cottontails were found east of the Hudson River in New York, across all of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, north to southern Vermont and New Hampshire, and into southern Maine. Today, this rabbit's range has shrunk by more than 75 percent. Its numbers are so greatly diminished that it can no longer be found in Vermont and has been reduced to only five smaller populations throughout its historic range. neBrown Anne Where the bunnies are The New England cottontail prefers early successional forests, often called thickets, with thick and tangled New England cottontail vegetation. These young forests are generally less than 25 years old. Once Why are their numbers declining? The introduction of exotic invasive large trees grow in a stand, the shrub Biologists believe the reduced extent of species, such as multiflora rose, layer tends to thin, creating habitat that thicket habitat is the primary reason for honeysuckle bush and autumn olive, in the New England cottontail no longer the decline in numbers and range of New the last century has changed the type of finds suitable. England cottontails. Prior to European habitat available to New England settlement, New England cottontails cottontails. These plants form the major Active at dawn and at dusk or night, the were probably found along river valleys component of many patches where New England cottontail feeds on where floods and beavers created the cottontails can be found. It may be that grasses and plant leaves in spring and disturbances needed to generate its stands dominated by non-native species summer and eats bark and twigs in preferred habitat. Forest insect do not provide rabbits with the food winter. Home ranges vary from one-half outbreaks, large storms like hurricanes resources that native plant species do. to 8 acres, with adult males having and ice storms, and wild fire also created larger home ranges than females. disturbances in the forest that promoted Today white-tailed deer are found in Research has shown that New England thicket growth. During colonial times, extremely high densities throughout cottontails on patches of habitat larger much of the New England forest was the range of New England cottontails. than 12 acres are healthier than those cleared for agriculture and then Deer not only eat many of the same on patches less than 7 acres. subsequently abandoned during the early plants but also affect the structure and Presumably, rabbits on small patches of 1900s. This abandoned farmland allowed density of many understory plants that habitat deplete their food supply sooner for a great deal of early successional provide thicket habitat for New and have to eat lower quality food, or habitats to develop. Today, these habitats England cottontails. may need to search for food in areas are aging while others have been where there is more risk of being killed developed and are no longer suitable by a predator. for the New England cottontail. Introduced competitor believe that “translocation” may allow the In the early 1900s until the 1960s, rabbits to more quickly occupy areas hunting clubs and some eastern states where habitat has been restored. introduced another species of rabbit, the eastern cottontail, into New England. Researchers are also conducting radio Eastern cottontails appear able to thrive telemetry studies to better understand in a greater variety of habitats than New how eastern and New England England cottontails through its ability to cottontails use habitats when both detect predators sooner. This helps species occupy the same area. This eastern cottontails forage more safely in information could provide valuable relatively open cover, while New England insight on the ability of these two species cottontails risk predation whenever they to co-exist. leave the security of their dense thicket habitats. The slightly better ability to Habitat is the key to recovery avoid predators enables eastern It is relatively easy to manage and create cottontails to live in more diverse thickets for the New England cottontail. habitats, such as fields, farms and forest The Service, states and many other edges, and they are gradually replacing organizations are working together to New England cottontails in many habitat manage habitats for the species, which patches. will benefit other animals – such as American woodcock, ruffed grouse, Identity is more than skin deep eastern towhees, yellow breasted chats, It is nearly impossible to distinguish a whip-poor-wills and other shrubland New England cottontail from an eastern dependent wildlife that are of cottontail by looking at them. The minor conservation concern. Recently awarded differences of ear length, body mass, and grants totaling more than $1 million are presence or absence of a black spot supporting these efforts and the between the ears and a black line on the development of a conservation strategy front of each ear are subtle enough to be to recover the New England cottontail. missed and are not 100 percent accurate. Scientists used to rely on examining the Landowners play a crucial role in rabbits' skulls for positive identification, providing cottontail habitat. Many of the but can now use DNA analysis of fecal known cottontail patches occur on private pellets. Since rabbits drop fecal material lands. The Service is working diligently all around their territory, the extracted with state governments to develop and DNA from pellets collected throughout implement candidate conservation the region can provide a picture of where agreements that provide assurances the New England cottontail is found. should the New England cottontail be formally listed as a threatened or Understanding the rabbit endangered species in the future. For Several research projects are underway more information, view the Landowners that will help determine the best Guide to New England Cottontail management practices for New England Management online at cottontail. These projects include an http://www.edf.org/. investigation of the range-wide genetic structure of the species and an analysis of the gene frequencies in Maine’s New Northeast Region England cottontail population. This U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service research will provide information about 300 Westgate Center Drive the rabbit’s dispersal patterns and other Hadley, MA 01035 behaviors, and will help estimate the size 413/253 8200 of existing populations. Researchers are http://northeast.fws.gov also evaluating an alternative technique for identifying rabbit species through Federal Relay Service DNA in fecal pellets that should facilitate for the deaf and hard-of-hearing survey efforts to identify new New 1 800/877 8339 England cottontail sites and track changes in patch occupancy. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD Another important area of research http://www.fws.gov involves moving New England cottontails to former parts of their range. Managers April 2009