HOUSE RABBIT JOURNAL The publication for members of the international House Rabbit Society Winter 2016 The State of Lagomorphs Today by Margo DeMello, PhD Make Mine Chocolate™ Turns 15 by Susan Mangold and Terri Cook Advocating For Rabbits by Iris Klimczuk Fly Strike (Myiasis) in Rabbits by Stacie Grannum, DVM $4.99 CONTENTS HOUSE RABBIT JOURNAL Winter 2016 Contributing Editors Amy Bremers Shana Abé Maureen O’Neill Nancy Montgomery Linda Cook The State of Lagomorphs Today p. 4 Sandi Martin by Margo DeMello, PhD Rebecca Clawson Designer/Editor Sandy Parshall Veterinary Review Linda Siperstein, DVM Executive Director Anne Martin, PhD Board of Directors Marinell Harriman, Founder and Chair Margo DeMello, President Mary Cotter, Vice President Joy Gioia, Treasurer Beth Woolbright, Secretary Dana Krempels Laurie Gigous Kathleen Wilsbach Dawn Sailer Bill Velasquez Judith Pierce Edie Sayeg Nancy Ainsworth House Rabbit Society is a 501c3 and its publication, House Rabbit Journal, is published at 148 Broadway, Richmond, CA 94804. Photograph by Tom Young HRJ is copyright protected and its contents may not be republished without written permission. The Bunny Who Started It All p. 7 by Nareeya Nalivka Goldie is adoptable at House Rabbit Society International Headquarters in Richmond, CA. rabbitcenter.org/adopt Make Mine Chocolate™ Turns 15 p. 8 by Susan Mangold and Terri Cook Cover photo by Sandy Parshall, HRS Program Manager Bella’s Wish p. 9 by Maurice Liang Advocating For Rabbits p. 10 by Iris Klimczuk From Grief to Grace: Maurice, Miss Bean, and Bella p. 12 by Chelsea Eng Fly Strike (Myiasis) in Rabbits p. 13 by Stacie Grannum, DVM The Transpacifi c Bunny p. 14 by Stephany Fang HOUSE RABBIT JOURNAL EVERY YEAR WE HEAR ABOUT Contributing Editors a number of emergency rabbit rescue situations around the Amy Bremers Shana Abé country that involve anywhere from 15 to 1500 rabbits. Maureen O’Neill In order to help, in 2007 we started the Emergency Rescue Fund. All donations coming to HRS that specify Nancy Montgomery “Emergency Rescue Fund” will go toward these grants. We use these funds to make targeted grants Linda Cook (usually ranging from $250 to $750) to animal rescue organizations that are involved in a large rescue of Sandi Martin 2016 Emergency Rebecca Clawson many rabbits. House Rabbit Society’s Chapter Grant program seeks to assist HRS chapters in their mission Designer/Editor of rabbit rescue or education and outreach. Below are our grant recipients for the second half of 2016. Sandy Parshall & Chapter Congratulations to these great rescues and HRS chapters! To see past winners and apply, visit: rabbit.org/ Veterinary Review the-hrs-emergency-grant-program Linda Siperstein, DVM GRANT RECIPIENTS St. Louis HRS Executive Director Anne Martin, PhD $1000 Funds from this chapter grant are being used to build Board of Directors an extension on the current building to help house Marinell Harriman, Founder and Chair more bunnies. Margo DeMello, President hrsmostl.org Mary Cotter, Vice President Joy Gioia, Treasurer Beth Woolbright, Secretary Dana Krempels Humane Society North Texas SE Pennsylvania-Delaware HRS Laurie Gigous $750 Kathleen Wilsbach $750 Dawn Sailer Humane Society North Texas took in 38 rabbits who SE Pennsylvania-Delaware HRS Chapter took in 30 Bill Velasquez were living in heartbreaking conditions and suff ering lionheads who had escaped an outdoor enclosure. Judith Pierce from neglect. Funds from this grant went toward Funds went toward spay/neuter and veterinary care, Edie Sayeg spay/neuter, veterinary care, food, and bedding. including a limb amputation. Nancy Ainsworth hsnt.org rabbit.org/chapters/se-pennsylvania House Rabbit Society is a 501c3 and Rabbit Rescue Inc. Indiana HRS its publication, House Rabbit Journal, is published at 148 Broadway, Richmond, CA 94804. $750 $750 HRJ is copyright protected and its contents may not be Rabbit Rescue Inc. in Ontario, Canada was contacted Our Indiana chapter took in 36 rabbits from a breeder. republished without written permission. for help by a shelter that took in 103 rabbits (plus The rabbits had been neglected and living in fetid babies). Funds went toward spay/neuter, medical conditions. Funds from this grant helped pay for spay/ care, and placement of these rabbits. neuter and safe refuge. Goldie is adoptable at House Rabbit Society rabbitrescue.ca indianahrs.org International Headquarters in Richmond, CA. rabbitcenter.org/adopt Cover photo by Sandy Parshall, HRS Program Manager More Than Pets Beaver County Humane Society $750 $750 More Than Pets took in 40 rabbits from a breeding Beaver County HS took in 65 rabbits seized from a sin- mill. Funds went toward spay/neuter, housing, and gle home who were living in fi lthy conditions. Funds veterinary care. went toward veterinary and other care. facebook.com/morethanpets beavercountyhumanesociety.org Infi nite Woofs Upstate NY HRS $750 $1000 When a man breeding rabbits for meat died, his This chapter grant helped provide funds for 7 rabbits daughter reached out to rescues to help place 50 who required surgery, as well as a litter of 9 babies rabbits who had been in his care. Funds went toward from a rescued pregnant female who needed spay/ spay/neuter, food, toys, and placement. neuter surgery. infi nitewoofs.org therabbitresource.org www.rabbit.org 3 climate Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii), one of the few Lagomorph species that is NOT in decline. Photograph by Tom Young The Leporidae family spread from Asia The State of Lagomorphs Today to much of the rest of the world, while By Margo DeMello, PhD the Ochotonidae spread west to Europe and east to North America. In the early years of the evolution of these creatures, more than 20 genera (groups of species) ur domesticated pet rabbits The Lagomorph order first emerged of ochotonids existed within the Miocene, are part of the Lagomorph in Asia in the early Eocene period, about but almost all of them went extinct by the order (like us, rabbits are 53 million years ago, and diverged into time the Pliocene began, about 5 million mammals and vertebrates, two families about 50 million years ago: years ago. (Today, there is just one genus Obut humans are members of the Primate Leporidae (which includes hares and of ochotonids left.) Leporids also were order). Lagomorphs include rabbits, rabbits) and Ochotonidae (pikas). (As a once far more abundant than they are to- hares, and pikas. Domesticated rabbits comparison, primates most likely evolved day, with many species going extinct after are classified as Oryctalagus (genus) starting in the late Mesozoic period, mov- the last glacial period ended (about 12,000 cuniculus (species). Beyond our domes- ing into the Paleocene, anywhere from years ago). Both families experienced ma- ticated companions, there are dozens 85-65 million years ago. Our own family, jor extinctions because of global climate of other lagomorphs around the world, Hominidae, which includes both humans changes, although, ultimately, leporids and many of those are threatened or and the great apes, evolved about 8 mil- found their range expanding while ochot- endangered‚ some severely so. lion years ago, in the late Miocene.) onids found theirs shrinking. 4 www.rabbit.org “The greatest way to save the many Lagomorph species that are threatened by climate change is to make a change in our diets.” Today, extant species of Leporidae of habitat. Three species are current- Jackrabbit (Lepus flavigularis), Amami (or leporids) are native to every conti- ly endangered, including Hoffman’s Rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi), Volca- nent except Australia (where they were pika (Ochotona hoffmanni), Ili pika no Rabbit (Romerolagus diazi), Tres introduced in the nineteenth century) (Ochotona iliensis), and Kozlov’s pika Marias Cottontail (Sylvilagus graysoni), and Antarctica, while pikas are found (Ochotona koslowi), and one is critically Omilteme Cottontail (Sylvilagus in- only in cold plateau, steppe, and rocky endangered—the silver pika (Ochotona sonus), and Robust Cottontail (Sylvila- regions in Asia and western North argentata). gus robustus); five are near threatened: America (they once ranged across all of It’s not just these pikas that are in White-sided Jackrabbit (Lepus callotis), Europe, Asia, and North America). Lep- trouble. The majority of the pika species Black Jackrabbit (Lepus insularis), orids survive in a wide range of habitats, listed as not threatened or endangered Yarkand Hare (Lepus yarkandensis), Eu- from tropical forest to steppe to plateau show decreasing population numbers, ropean Rabbit—our pet species (Oryc- to desert and Arctic regions. and most of the rest are so unknown to tolagus cuniculus), and Appalachian Debate continues among scientists scientists that assessing their conser- Cottontail (Sylvilagus obscurus); and regarding the exact number of all living vation status is difficult. The American five are vulnerable: Broom Hare (Lep- Lagomorph genera and species, but pika (Ochotona princeps), for example, us castroviejoi), Corsican Hare (Lepus there are 8 genera and 28 species of rab- is thought to be so threatened that it corsicanus), Hainan Hare (Lepus hain- bit, 3 genera and 30 species of hare, and may go extinct by the end of the century, anus), Sumatran Striped Rabbit (Ne- a single genus and anywhere from 28-32 yet federal and state officials have de- solagus netscheri), and New England species of pika. (To find a list of all of clined to list the species as endangered. Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis). them, please visit rabbit.org/ Only 3 pika species are considered to be Only five species have stable population lagomorph-species.) Many of them are stable with regard to their population levels, with two species increasing; the now in trouble. statuses. rest are all decreasing. After a wave of about two dozen While neither hares nor rabbits are What is threatening the future of species went extinct before the end of suffering as much as are pikas, thanks these species? Climate change.