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New England Cottontail Sylvilagus Transitionalis U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service New England Cottontail Sylvilagus transitionalis Federal Status found in association with abandoned Candidate agricultural lands, wetlands, clear cuts of woodlands, coastal shrublands, Description scrub oak barrens, utility rights-of- The New England cottontail way, or other areas where disturbance (Sylvilagus transitionalis) is a has stimulated the growth of shrubs medium-to-large-sized cottontail rabbit and other early-successional plants. that may reach 2.2 pounds in weight. Demonstrating a close affinity to Sometimes called the gray rabbit, microhabitats containing more than brush rabbit, wood hare or cooney, it is 20,000 stem cover units/acre, New the only rabbit that is native to areas England cottontail are reluctant to ©AnneSchnell east of the Hudson River in New York. venture from the cover these dense From the late 1800s until the 1960s, stands provide. habitats, rabbits tend to deplete their large numbers of eastern cottontail (S. food resources during the winter; as floridanus) were introduced to areas Researchers have demonstrated that a result, rabbits on smaller patches within the range of the New England when food was not available within (about 5 acres or less) tend to be in cottontail. Today, with the exception of the cover of thickets, New England poorer condition. These rabbits also Maine, the eastern cottontail occupies cottontail were reluctant to forage experience higher rates of predation most of the New England cottontail’s in the open, and subsequently lost than do rabbits on larger patches (12 range and is much more numerous; in a greater proportion of body mass acres or larger) because they must risk many areas, the eastern cottontail has and succumbed to higher rates of being exposed in areas with less cover completely replaced the New England predation than did eastern cottontail if they are to find ample food resources. cottontail. External characteristics in the same enclosure. Thicket habitats that distinguish the two species are and corresponding New England Threats subtle, making it difficult to tell them cottontail populations decline rapidly as The primary threat to the New apart in the field. The two species understory vegetation thins during the England cottontail is loss of habitat are easy to distinguish, however, processes of forest maturation. through succession. During the process by examining skull morphology or of forest maturation, stem density genetic samples. Although similar in Along with the structural nature of the declines. Eventually the stand thins appearance, there is no evidence that vegetation within a patch of habitat, the to such an extent that the habitat is the two species are hybridizing. size of the patch must be considered no longer suitable for New England when assessing its value for supporting cottontail. Fragmentation serves to Range New England cottontail. In smaller further degrade habitat on a larger Historically, the New England scale. Isolation of occupied patches cottontail occurred in seven states by surrounding areas of unsuitable and ranged from southeastern New habitat, coupled with high predation York east of the Hudson River, rates, are causing local extirpation of north through the Champlain Valley, New England cottontail from small southern Vermont, the southern half of patches. New Hampshire and southern Maine, and south throughout Massachusetts, Today, white-tailed deer occur in high Connecticut and Rhode Island. densities unprecedented throughout Today, the range of the New England New England. These deer not only cottontail has contracted by 75 percent consume many of the same foods that or more since 1960; the species is no rabbits eat, but their presence can longer found in Vermont. Furthermore, also alter the species composition and densities of New England cottontail in structure of vegetation communities. remaining parts of its range are low. In addition, many of the patches where New England cottontail are found Habitat are dominated by non-native, invasive New England cottontail are considered shrubs such as multiflora rose (Rosa habitat specialists, insofar as they are multiflora), honeysuckle (Lonicera dependent upon early-successional spp.), Russian olive (Elaeagnus spp.) habitats, frequently described as and Asiatic bittersweet (Celastrus thickets. These habitats can be orbiculatus). Conservation Actions Given the relative ease with which habitat management could provide suitable habitat for the New England cottontail and the species’ capacity to reproduce, habitat restoration can provide immediate conservation benefits. The states of New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have established executive and technical committees and are are working to develop a conservation strategy that will address the conservation needs of the New England cottontail. This strategy will identify Wells/www.oakleafs.com ©Pamela areas where New England cottontail New England cottontail management efforts are likely to be most successful. Measures to Avoid Beneficial Practices Avoid management practices that Practices that increase the amount Private landowners will play a crucial eliminate or reduce the amount of of available shrubland communities role in the recovery of the New England suitable habitat. could benefit the New England cottontail, since many of the known cottontail. Activities that result in the cottontail patches occur on private Avoid alterations in hydrology or creation or maintenance of habitats lands. The Service is working diligently other abiotic factors that support that are a minimum of 12 acres in with state governments to develop stable shrublands. size and provide the New England and implement candidate conservation cottontail with the necessary stem agreements with assurances (CCAA) Avoid the complete removal of large densities the species requires (>30 to provide incentives for willing private stands of non-native invasive shrub stems/100 square feet) will provide landowners to manage habitat for communities. the most benefits. the species. The CCAA will provide assurances that no additional regulatory Minimizing Adverse Effects NRCS Practice Standards that have burden will be asked of cooperating Management of shrublands may the most potential for benefiting the landowners should the New England result in the temporary loss of New species include: cottontail be formally listed as a England cottontail habitat. While threatened or endangered species in regenerative cuts are often required 472 Access Control the future. For more information, view to maintain the long-term viability 386 Field Borders A Landowner’s Guide to New England of occupied habitats, this type of 340 Cover Crops Cottontail Habitat Management at management may result in the 666 Forest Stand Improvements http://www.edf.org/documents/8828_New- short-term loss of habitat as thickets 595 Pest Management England-Cottontail-Guide.pdf. redevelop. This sort of impact is 338 Prescribed Burning particularly severe during the winter 528 Prescribed Grazing dormant period when New England 391 Riparian Forest Buffer cottontail are most limited by habitat 612 Tree/Shrub Establishment availability. Treatment of occupied 657 Wetland Restoration patches through integrated vegetation 647 Early Successional Habitat management that selectively removes Development/ Management trees or a select number of invasive 643 Restoration and Management of species while maintaining >20,000 Declining Habitats stem cover units/acre could permit 645 Upland Wildlife Habitat improved management while avoiding Management adverse impacts. FWS contact: NRCS contact: Office 336/370 3362 Tom Chapman Kristin Ling Smith Mobile 336/420 9498 Project Leader Ecologist (Environmental Fax 336/273 8132 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Compliance Spec) [email protected] 70 Commercial Street, Suite 300 USDA Natural Resources Concord, N.H. 03301 Conservation Service June 2011 Office 603/223 2541 East National Technology Fax 603/223 0104 Support Center [email protected] 2901 East Lee Street, Suite 2100 Greensboro, NC 27401.
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