Determinants of home-range size of imperiled New England cottontails (Sylvilagus transitionalis) and introduced eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus)

In fragmented habitat, population persistence depends in part on patch quality and patch size relative to home-range size. The imperiled New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis (Bangs, 1895)) is an obligate user of shrublands in the northeastern United States, a highly fragmented and declining ecosystem. New England cottontail conservation efforts have targeted habitat creation; however, efforts are hindered by a limited knowledge of seasonal space use and its relationship to habitat quality, which could help inform minimum patch-size requirements and implications of competition with non-native eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus (J.A. Allen, 1890)). To address these uncertainties, we modeled home-range areas for both species as a function of season, patch size, sex, and two indicators of forage and cover availability. Home range was generally inversely correlated with measures of forage and cover resources and the response differed by season and species and did not vary with patch size. Instead, inclusion of matrix habitat within home ranges increased with decreasing patch size, placing individuals within smaller patches at a high risk of mortality. These risks may be mitigated in patches >7 ha and absent in patches >20–25 ha where predicted inclusion of matrix is lower or absent.

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REFERENCE AND BASELINE HEMATOCRIT MEASURES FOR THE THREATENED NEW ENGLAND COTTONTAIL (SYLVILAGUS TRANSITIONALIS) AND COMPARISON WITH SYMPATRIC EASTERN COTTONTAIL (SYLVILAGUS FLORIDANUS) RABBITS

Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine ◽

10.1638/2015-0157.1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 47 (2) ◽

pp. 659-662 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

S. J. Ryan ◽

E. J. Gavard ◽

A. E. Cheeseman ◽

J. B. Cohen ◽

C. M. Whipps

Keyword(s):

New England ◽

Sylvilagus Floridanus ◽

Sylvilagus Transitionalis ◽

New England Cottontail ◽

Eastern Cottontail

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Patch use by the greater glider (Petauroides volans) in a fragmented forest ecosystem. I. Home range size and movements

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr02110 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 31 (6) ◽

pp. 559 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

M. L. Pope ◽

D. B. Lindenmayer ◽

R. B. Cunningham

Keyword(s):

Population Density ◽

Home Range ◽

Patch Size ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Home Ranges ◽

Home Range Overlap ◽

Eastern Australia ◽

Core Areas ◽

Range Overlap

This paper examines home-range attributes of 40 greater gliders (Petauroides volans) in five patches of remnant eucalypt forest surrounded by stands of radiata pine (Pinus radiata) near Tumut in south-eastern Australia. Fixed-kernel smoothing methods were used to estimate home-range size for P. volans. For males, home-range size varied from 1.38–4.10 ha (mean = 2.6 ± 0.8 ha, n = 12) and was significantly larger (P < 0.05) than for females (1.26–2.97 ha, mean = 2.0 ± 0.6 ha, n = 11). Home-range size increased significantly with increasing patch size and reduced patch population density. Thus, small patches had more animals per unit area with smaller home ranges and greater home-range overlap. Our findings illustrate flexibility in the use of space by P. volans. Such results have not previously been reported for P. volans or any other species of arboreal marsupial. Considerable home-range overlap (at 95th percentile isopleth level) was observed between male and female P. volans. Pairs of females also exhibited home-range overlap. Males tended to maintain home ranges exclusive of other males, although some shared common areas. Contrary to the large variations observed in home-range area, core areas (50th isopleth) remained relatively constant, regardless of patch size, population density or sex. This may indicate that core areas are an essential requirement for individuals and resources they contain cannot be shared with congeners.

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Spatial Use and Survival of Sympatric Populations of New England and Eastern Cottontails in Connecticut

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management ◽

10.3996/082016-jfwm-062 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 3-10

Author(s):

Howard J. Kilpatrick ◽

Travis J. Goodie

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

New England ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Sylvilagus Floridanus ◽

Sympatric Populations ◽

Spatial Use ◽

Core Areas ◽

The U.S

Abstract The New England cottontail (NEC) Sylvilagus transitionalis is strongly associated with shrubland and early successional habitat and is the only cottontail native to the U.S. Northeast. The distribution and abundance of young forest habitat and NEC populations have declined. The eastern cottontail (EC) Sylvilagus floridanus was introduced into the U.S. Northeast in the early 1900s and uses similar habitat as NEC, but is expanding in distribution and abundance. Little information exists on spatial use, survival, and competition in sympatric populations of NEC and EC. Understanding differences in population demographics may identify important factors or relationships influencing population trends and aid in developing effective management strategies. Our objectives were to quantify home range and core area sizes, annual survival rates, minimum population densities, and range overlap for sympatric populations of NEC and EC at four sites in Connecticut. We monitored spatial use and survival rates of 107 radio-collared rabbits over a 10-y period. Mean annual home ranges and core areas were 10.9 and 2.5 ha for NEC and 5.6 and 1.6 ha for EC. Overlap in home range and core areas was greater within species than between species (NEC-EC). For both species and sex, home range size expanded from winter to breeding seasons. Survival rates were greater for NEC than for EC at all four sites, with predation as the major cause of mortality for both species. Space-use patterns suggest that the potential for EC to interfere with NEC reproduction is limited and avoidance or resource partitioning between species in the same patch may be occurring.

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Gastrointestinal parasites of the New England cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus transitionalis) and eastern cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) in the Hudson Valley, New York

Parasitology Research ◽

10.1007/s00436-019-06351-5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 118 (7) ◽

pp. 2257-2262 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Christopher M. Whipps ◽

Emily J. Gavard ◽

Jonathan Cohen ◽

Sadie J. Ryan

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

New England ◽

Gastrointestinal Parasites ◽

Sylvilagus Floridanus ◽

Hudson Valley ◽

Sylvilagus Transitionalis ◽

Cottontail Rabbit ◽

New England Cottontail ◽

Eastern Cottontail ◽

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

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Home range size, utilization and spatial organization of Pine Martens in Bial'owieza National Park, Poland

Mammal Review ◽

10.1046/j.1365-2907.2000.0075l.x ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 30 (3-4) ◽

pp. 232-232

Author(s):

A. Zalewski ◽

W. Jedrzejewski

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

National Park ◽

Spatial Organization ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Pine Martens

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Foraging Habitat, Home-Range Size and Diet of a Mediterranean Bat Species, Savi's Pipistrelle

Acta Chiropterologica ◽

10.3161/15081109acc2018.20.2.007 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 351

Author(s):

Marina Kipson ◽

Martin Šálek ◽

Radek Lučan ◽

Marcel Uhrin ◽

Edita Maxinová ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Foraging Habitat

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Green morays (Gymnothorax funebris) have sedentary ways in mangrove bays, but also ontogenetic forays to reef enclaves

Environmental Biology of Fishes ◽

10.1007/s10641-021-01137-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Matthew S. Kendall ◽

Laughlin Siceloff ◽

Ashley Ruffo ◽

Arliss Winship ◽

Mark E. Monaco

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Site Fidelity ◽

Home Range Size ◽

Range Size ◽

Caribbean Region ◽

History Of ◽

High Site ◽

Single Night ◽

Exploratory Movements ◽

Moray Eel

AbstractSurprisingly, little is known about basic life history of the largest moray eel species in the Caribbean region, the green moray eel (Gymnothorax funebris). Sixteen eels were captured from the mangrove fringe in multiple bays on St. Croix, USVI, implanted with coded acoustic transmitters, and their movements were tracked for up to 11 months using an array of 37 stationary acoustic receivers. They exhibited high site fidelity in the bays during their residence, using the same general parts of individual bays and did not switch bays except for one individual. There was no relationship between eel size (mean TL = 83 cm, range = 54–126 cm) and home range size (mean area of 95% KUD = 5.8 ha ± 0.7 SE). Most individuals were more frequently detected at night than during the day suggesting greater nocturnal activity. Several of the larger eels (mean TL = 93 cm ± 5.9 SE) showed clear and permanent emigration tracks out of the mangrove estuary to coral reef habitats offshore. For some individuals, these habitat shifts were preceded by exploratory movements away from the eel’s typical home range the night before emigration. All final emigration events took place nocturnally, happened during a single night, and occurred during months from December to May. Mean emigration speed was 3.4 km/h. This study is the first documentation of an ontogenetic habitat shift in moray eels, as well as the first determination of home range size for this species and their site fidelity in mangrove habitats.

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