If
Peter Cottontail were a New England cottontail, Mr. MacGregor's
garden would have been adjacent to a very dense thicket
just the other side of the Peter's stonewall escape route.
Peter would also have sported a dark thumbprint between
his modest ears. Modesty, it turns out, is an apt descriptor
for many of our local cottontail's characteristics. Unlike
the brash storybook cottontail, the New England cottontail's
reclusive nature tells the tale of stealth upon which this
species' survival depends.
A
Case of Mistaken Identity
The
enigmatic New England cottontail, Maine's only native rabbit,
was only recently understood to be a truly unique species;
similar in looks, but very different in lifestyle from other
cottontails found throughout North America. This case of
mistaken identity has left the New England cottontail on
the brink of extinction, as scientists race to inventory
remaining populations and conserve or restore habitat conditions
that will ensure its survival.
According
to University of New Hampshire Wildlife Prof. John A. Litvaitis,
"Brown and a conspicuous white tail describe most rabbits.
Smaller than Eastern cottontails, the New England cottontails
weigh just about two pounds. If you look closely, you can
find a few characteristics that can help you distinguish
a New England from an Eastern cottontail. About half of
Eastern cottontails have a small white spot on their forehead,
which is never found on a New England cottontail. The ears
of a New England cottontail are shorter than those of an
Eastern, and there is a thin black line of fur along the
outer edge. You'll also notice a black spot right between
the ears of a New England cottontail. These are the only
differences you can see."
New
England's Only Cottontail
According
to a recent report by Environmental Defense Fund writer
Margaret Arbuthnot, entitled A Landowner's Guide to New
England Cottontail Habitat Management, "Historically,
the New England cottontail was the only cottontail species
throughout Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Connecticut and Rhode Island. That changed dramatically
in the 1920s through the 1950s, when state wildlife management
agencies and private hunting clubs conducted large-scale
introductions of Eastern cottontails into the northeast
region with the goal of augmenting game populations. These
populations quickly expanded and became firmly established
in all northeastern states except for Maine, where the Eastern
cottontail has yet to be observed."
Pulling
a Rabbit and the Thicketout
of the Hat
In
the 1800s, European settlers cleared the land to make way
for farms and pastures. Late in the 19th century when these
open lands were abandoned, the denuded landscape began transitioning
back to forest. These first-stage forests of the early 1900s
were characterized by dense thickets and young trees. Known
as early successional habitat, this landscape is prime real
estate for the New England cottontail.
|
 |
Scientists
now know that, unlike the Eastern cottontails often observed
in open fields, the elusive New England cottontail is only
found in the brushy under-story of very young forests, a habitat
type that requires active management to sustain. The reason
is that these openings in the forest are caused by significant
removal of trees or suppression of tree growth by mechanical
means, or by prescribed fire. Left unmanaged, a forest remains
in this stage of early succession for only 20 to 25 years
before the canopy of taller trees begins to shade out the
unruly sun-loving shrubs and immature saplings of the young
forest's under-story. With the progression of each decade
in the early 20th century, the New England forests matured
and the New England cottontail began to disappear along with
its habitat.
Rabbit
Hunting
Remember
the wolf's words of wisdom to Little Red Riding Hood as she
remarks, "Grandmother, what big ears you have!"
"The
better to hear you with, my dear," the wolf replies.
Turns
out our local cottontail could use bigger ears and eyes to
more successfully avoid predators. This bunny is on the menu
of local mammals including fox and coyote. Great horned owls
and red-tailed hawks also dine on rabbit, and no contemporary
story discussing predators would be complete without mentioning
the ubiquitous domestic cat.
While
any rabbit would make a fitting feast for all of the aforementioned
carnivores, researchers are learning that the New England
cottontail, outfitted with less advanced predator detection
equipment, may be a bit easier to catch...Which is why, if
you were a New England cottontail, you would absolutely be
looking for the thickest, most impenetrable, prickliest mound
of overgrown shrubbery in which to make your home. And preferably,
it would also lie not too far (meaning within 16 feet of cover)
from some edible fresh greens.
Brush
Piles, Burrows and Other Resources
Sometime
in 2009, the newly conserved Highland Farm will be the subject
of intense study as scientists research the 30 or so acres
of early successional habitat provided by the property's abandoned
golf course. Restoration may include constructing burrows
or adding brush piles as additional shelter from predators
and severe weather, which are strategies described in detail
in the new Landowner's Guide.
The York
Land Trust, its wildlife rehabilitation partners at the Center
for Wildlife and numerous other conservation agencies
are actively interested in helping landowners better understand
the New England cottontail and its early successional habitat.
Coincidentally, these lands are where 27 other species of
greatest conservation need in New England make their home,
including the enthralling American woodcock, the indigo bunting,
the American redstart, the wood thrush, the spotted turtle
and the black racer snake, to name a few.
If you
are a local landowner, the new Landowner's Guide to New England
Cottontail Habitat Management, which is packed full of easy-to-read
details and descriptive photographs, is for you - and can
be downloaded along with other relevant information and resources
at www.edf.org/cottontail.
References:
Arbuthnot, M. 2008. A Landowner's Guide to New England Cottontail
Habitat Management. Environmental Defense Fund. 37pp.
Litvaitis, J. A. 2008. "New England's Cottontail,"
New Hampshire Wildlife Journal, (November/December p7-11).
New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
|
