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The Home Range and Habitat Preferences of Swamp Rabbits Along a Shell Road in the Intermediate Marsh of Southwestern Louisiana

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The Home Range and Habitat Preferences of Swamp Rabbits Along a Shell Road in the Intermediate Marsh of Southwestern Louisiana Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School Summer 7-10-1973 The omeH Range and Habitat Preferences of Swamp Rabbits Along a Shell Road in the Intermediate Marsh of Southwestern Louisiana Arthur Benjamin Gould Jr. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Part of the Life Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Gould, Arthur Benjamin Jr., "The omeH Range and Habitat Preferences of Swamp Rabbits Along a Shell Road in the Intermediate Marsh of Southwestern Louisiana" (1973). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 8242. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/8242 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE HOME RANGE AND HABITAT PREFERENCES OF SWAMP RABBITS ALONG A SHELL ROAD IN THE INTERMEDIATE MARSH OF SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science i n fhe School of Forestry and Wildlife Management by Arthur Benjamin Gould, Jr. B.S., Auburn University, 1969 May, 1974 MANUSCRIPT THESES Unpublished theses submitted for the Master's and Doctor's Degrees and deposited in the Louisiana State University Library are available for inspection. Use of any thesis is limited by the rights of the author. Bibliographical references may be noted, but passages may not be copied unless the author has given permission. Credit must be given in subsequent written or published work. A Library which borrows this thesis for use by its clientele is expected to make sure that the borrower is aware of the above restrictions. LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish +o thank the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Louisiana Wild Life and Fisheries Commission, for providing financial assistance through the Louisiana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit. Special thanks are extended to Mr. John D. Newsom, Leader of the Louisiana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, for his advice and assistance as Project Leader. For the use ot the facilities at Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, appreciation is extended to the Louisiana Wild Life and Fisheries , r nr. + i+l,de noes to the Rockefeller Commission. A special note o g i. TpH Joanen, Research Leader; Mr. Wildlife Refuge personnel. Mr. lea j I M M Rinloa i st• and Mr. Howard Dupuie, Biologist, for their Larry McNease, Biologisi, emu help and advice throughout this study. , . nr A W. Palmisano, Assistant Appreciation is extended to Dr. a . • • rxwtprative Wildlife Research Unit, for his Unit Leader, Louisiana Coopera technical assistance and editorial advice. Thanks are given to Dr. L. L. Glasgow and Dr. R. B. Hamilton, School of Forestry and Wildlife , joo Hnrina the preparation of this manusenp Management, for their advic . , +n nr Prentiss E. Schilling, Associate Gratitude is extended to Dr. Prenr.ss . I c+-,+ ; sties, for Statistical advice. Professor of ExperimentaI St • + ro Hurinn many phases of this study, apprecia- For their assistance during many y , 4-,s <- +1irinn+s Tom Hess and Steve tion is extended to fellow graduate students, lom Dubois, and to David Arnoldi for his help with photography. Special thanks are given to Jim Gebhart for his assistance in trap construc­ tion and many other phases of this study. Finally, special appreciation is extended to my wife Lynda for her patience and encouragement throughout this study. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TITLE P A G E ....................... , ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................ j j LIST OF T A B L E S .............................................. v , LIST OF F I G U R E S .............................................. vJ j ABSTRACT....................................................... j x I N T R O D U C T I O N ................................................. , Previous W o r k .......................................... I LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA ..................... 6 Location ............................................... 5 Description ............................................ 5 Climate ................................................. g METHODS AND MATERIALS ........................................ 12 T r a p p i n g .............................................. 12 T a g g i n g ................................................. 13 Population Estimates .................................. 13 Information Obtained from Each Animal ................. 14 Radio Telemetry........................................ 17 Radio Transmitters.................................. 17 Radio Receivers and A n t e n n a s ....................... 18 Fitting Radio Transmitters ......................... 18 Field Testing of Radio Equipment ................... 19 Radio Tracking Procedures ......................... 20 Determining Home Range .............................. 20 Determining Habitat Preferences ................... 21 Page RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ..... ................................ 23 T r a p p i n g .............................................. 23 R e s u l t s ............................................ 23 Discussion.......................................... 24 Accidental Captures ................................ 25 Ear Tags and S t r e a m e r s ................................ 25 Population Estimates .................................. 26 Radio Telemetry........................................ 28 Transmitter Performance ........................... 28 Individual Movements ................................ 29 Rabbit 1 3 5 ...................................... 31 Rabbit 1 3 6 ...................................... 31 Rabbit 1 2 6 ...................................... 36 Rabbit 1 5 9 ...................................... 36 Rabbit 1 8 3 ...................................... 36 Rabbit 1 3 8 ...................................... 41 Rabbit 1 6 3 ...................................... 46 Rabbit 1 0 4 ...................................... 46 Rabbit 1 7 5 ...................................... 50 Rabbit 1 2 4 ...................................... 50 Rabbit 4 ........................................ 58 Habitat Preference .................................... 66 Basic Habitat Types Utilized ......................... 66 Preferred Habitat Components ......................... 66 D i s c u s s i o n ............................................ 72 W e i g h t s ............................................. 72 Population Density .................................. 73 Home Ranges ........................................ 73 SUMMARY ....................................................... lb A P P E N D I X ..................................................... 77 LITERATURE CITED ............................................. 79 VITA ......................................................... 82 v l is t of tables Page Tab I e 1. Climatological data for Rockefeller Wildlife Refug^ ^ ^ for 1968 through 1972 ........................ 2. Monthly climatological data tor R ° cl'e |’®' t o y t through Refuge for the study period from October 1972 through (f May 1973 .............................. 3. Rabbits caught per trapping®wMdlife Refugerlouisiana habitat types on Rockefel ler W, Idh te Ke g , 22 during October 1972 through May 1973 ........ 4. The average home range of swamp ^bb'ts a^ ® } ® rBa, anCe with a polar plan.meter and a »•++!er t ^ ^ + he from data collected wi|dMfe Refuge, intermediate marsh of Rocketeiie .............. 30 Louisiana .......................... , raH Inration of observations made on 5. The? number, a is type and l°ca intermediate marsh ?s 1972 through May 1973 .............. LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Location of Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge ............... 7 2. Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge showing study area .... 9 3. Rabbit fitted with radio transmitter and ear tag . 16 4. The author fitting a rabbit with a radio transmitter. 16 5. Minimum home range of male rabbit 135, 21-29 October 1972 32 6. Relative movements of male rabbit 135 during a 24-hour period, 26-27 October .................................. 33 7. Minimum home range of female rabbit 136, 21-29 October 1972 34 8. Relative movements of female rabbit 136 during a 24- hour period, 26-27 October ........................... 35 9. Minimum home range of male rabbit 126, 27 October - 15 December 1972 ...................................... 37 10. Relative movements of male rabbit 126 during a 24-hour period, 9-10 N o v e m b e r .................................. 38 11. Minimum home range of female rabbit 159, 27 October - 15 December 1972 39 12. Relative movements of female rabbit 159 during a 24-hour period, 9-10 Novem b e r .................................. 40 13. Minimum home range of male rabbit 183, 19 January - 10 February 1973 42 14. Relative movements of male rabbit 183 during a 24-hour period, 1-2 Fe b r u a r y ..................................... 43 15. Minimum home range of female rabbit 138, 15-23 February 1973 44 16. Relative movements of female rabbit 138 during a 24-hour period, 15-16 February ............................... 45 17. Minimum home range of male rabbit 163, 11-13 March
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