Ask the Experts

We asked several experts to answer some questions the New England Cottontail. 
We are continuing to add responses.  If you have expertise to lend, or a question you would like to see answered, please let us know.

Many thanks to the following professionals who took the time to respond to our questions:
  • Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
  • John A. Litvaitis, Professor of Wildlife Ecology, University of New Hampshire
  • Dr. Walter J. Jakubas, Mammal Group Leader, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

General Questions


1.    Why is the NE Cottontail in trouble?

Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge:

New England cottontail are declining largely due to loss and fragmentation of habitat.  Habitat is lost or degraded when suburban and urban development happens, habitat grows from thicket to forest, or shrublands are converted to grasslands.

Other problems which NE Cottontail are faced with are predation by domestic (primarily cats) and wild animals.  If the shrub habitats are large enough, many rabbits can avoid being eaten, however most occupied habitats are too small and are easily exploited by predators.

New England cottontail rabbits also need to contend with the more abundant, but not native to the area, Eastern cottontail.  Easterns are more common in most States, able to use a wider variety of habitats and slightly larger.  Since there are more of them, they are more likely to encounter an unoccupied territory.  Once a territory is filled with a rabbit, this rabbit, likely an Eastern, is able to defend it. 

Finally, the jury is out on what non-native, invasive plants (i.e. plants which are from other countries and which outcompete native plants) provide for cottontail rabbit.  While these plants provide cover, and New England cottontail use them extensively, they may not provide high quality food.  We just don’t know enough yet to determine if this is a reason for the decline of the species.


John A. Litvaitis, Professor of Wildlife Ecology, University of New Hampshire:

Several factors are most likely responsible for the decline of NEC since the 1960s.

First, the abundance of young forest that resulted from the abandonment of farmlands throughout New England (evidenced by the abundance of stone walls) declined as these these forests matured.

Second, eastern cottontails have expanded into the range that NECs occupied exclusively.  Eastern cottontails are much more adaptable and able to more effectively use small patches of habitat.  They are not “evicting” NEC from patches of habitat but probably getting to unoccupied patches several years before they become suitable for NEC.

Third, our landscapes are now a mix of forests, suburban developments, and small farmlands have been very beneficial to predators of NEC (including foxes, coyotes, fishers, red-tailed hawks, and barred owls).  These predators are not dependent on any single prey animal and will hunt a variety of small mammals and birds.  Their abundance is probably greater now than ever before, making life for any rabbit a real challenge.  These same changes in land use have resulted in very small patches of habitat that are suitable for NEC.

 

Dr. Walter J. Jakubas (Wally), Mammal Group Leader, Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife:

Why is the NE Cottontail in trouble?  New England cottontails are
in trouble because there are few areas that they can live in anymore.
These rabbits prefer to live in old fields that have thick brush, with
lots of places to hide.  Most of the old fields in New England have
either grown up into forests, or have been developed for houses or
businesses.  If you were to look at a map of where New England
cottontail used to live 50 years ago and compare that to a map where
they live today, you would discover that they do not even live in half
of the areas they used to live in.  The old fields that are left are
often very small and are separated by roads and buildings from other old
fields.  These roads and buildings make it very dangerous or impossible
for rabbits to move from one field to another. This may prevent rabbits
from meeting other rabbits and having families or it may make it
difficult for them to move to another field once their field starts
growing into a forest.

2.    What does the NE Cottontail Rabbit eat?

Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge:

In the summer, food is abundant and easily obtained.  New England cottontail eat grasses, forbes and tender shoots.  When fall and winter come they switch to eating tiny twigs.  Brambles, blueberry shrubs, young birch and aspen are favorites.  These tiny twigs must be within a rabbit’s reach, so they need to be low to the ground, and also tall enough to stick above the snow in winter to be accessible.  If they are very hungry and food is limiting they will eat the bark off of trees and shrubs.

John A. Litvaitis, Professor of Wildlife Ecology, University of New Hampshire:

During Spring, Summer, and early Fall (before frost), all rabbits rely on grasses and other green plants.  In winter, they rely on the young twigs of trees and shrubs.  As winter wears on, cottontails are sometimes forced to eat the bark shrubs because all small twigs within reach of a cottontails have been eaten.



3.    The NE Cottontail’s ideal habitat is described as “Early Successional Forest.”  Could you describe what that means?

Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge:

I prefer to use the term thicket, as I think perhaps it gives a clearer picture of the habitat.  It is hard to describe, however, New England cottontail habitat is very thick, tangled, difficult and sometimes painful, for humans to move through.  If you can walk through it without much trouble, it is not thick enough.

These habitats can occur in wet areas, alongside salt marshes and oceanfront, where fires have burned, in old beaver meadows, in old sand and gravel pits, in areas with poor sandy soils and in forests which were clearcut or where old fields are reverting.

These habitat types need either natural (wind and salt spray along oceanfront, salt marshes, wet or dry areas) or human disturbances (forestry, clearing, brush-hogging, prescribed fire) to exist.  Without disturbance, they will grow into forests and the rabbits cannot survive in forested habitats.


John A. Litvaitis, Professor of Wildlife Ecology, University of New Hampshire:

Because they rely on plants for food and cover from predators, cottontails do best in a young forest or an abandoned agricultural field.  After a disturbance like fire, hurricane, or clearing of land for farming, grass, shrubs, and seedling trees begin to take over an area. 

In New England, most of our lands get enough rain to support trees, so for New England cottontails to persist, their populations are usually shifting to take advantage of newly disturbed habitats.  As a young forest develops, trees become dominant and their canopies shade out vegetation near the group. 

At about 20-30 years, the ground-level plants that cottontails rely on are pretty much gone, so cottontails don’t have enough food or cover from predators.


Status & Legislation

1.    What is the current status of the New England Cottontail Rabbit?  (How many are estimated to remain, legal status in NE states, etc.)

John A. Litvaitis, Professor of Wildlife Ecology, University of New Hampshire:

Numbers of rabbits are almost impossible to get.  But NEC only occupy about 15% of the area they occupied in 1960.

Currently, they are protected in Maine and New Hampshire. 

Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge:

NEC are listed as a “Candidate Species”  under the federal Endangered Species Act.  This means they meet the scientific criteria for listing as a federally endangered species, however there are other listing activities which are higher priorities. Learn more here:    http://www.fws.gov/Endangered/candidates/index.html


 

2.    Is there any active state or national legislation to further protect this species?  If so, what can people do to help it pass?

John A. Litvaitis, Professor of Wildlife Ecology, University of New Hampshire:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may eventually classify them as a threatened or endangered species.



3.    Without help, what do you think will happen to the NE Cottontail in the next 10 years?  The next 20?

Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge:
I think the rabbit will continue to decline rapidly over the next two decades without regional habitat protection and habitat management.


John A. Litvaitis, Professor of Wildlife Ecology, University of New Hampshire:

Several states, especially Maine and New Hampshire are organizing state and private lands in an effort to create additional habitats for NEC.


Saving/Creating Habitat

1.    If I had 15-25 acres of unused forest and wanted to create ideal habitat, what should I do?

Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge:

First, I would check with your State wildlife agency to see how close you are to occupied NE Cottontail habitat.  However, there are many other declining species which would benefit from shrubland habitat, Eastern Towhee, Prairie Warbler, Black Racers, just to name a few.

Second, I would consult with a certified forester, explain your conservation goals and arrange to have a forest management plan, or a harvest plan drafted.  Discuss what you could expect to grow back into your forest once the trees are removed.  Finally, once you are comfortable with your plan, I would work with your forester to have your property clearcut. 

Afterwards, you would need to watch your habitat grow, and when necessary, clear about a quarter of it every 5 years or so.  Each site will respond differently, what you want is to have > 20,000 stems, which are 3 inches or less in diameter, per an acre. In general, this habitat will need to be maintained at about 10-12 feet tall at its maximum.


John A. Litvaitis, Professor of Wildlife Ecology, University of New Hampshire:

Starting with a forest is pretty hard.  Essentially, all trees need to be removed allowing shrubs and seedlings to re-occupy the area.



2.    If I had 15-25 acres of unused farmland or old orchards and wanted to create ideal habitat what should I do?

Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge:

I would let it grow into shrubland and thicket while making sure that it does not become dominated by non-native invasive plants.  I would maintain those apple trees, remove bittersweet from them and prune them to keep them producing fruit.  Small clearings around the tree can be maintained, however overall the habitat should remain in shrub.


John A. Litvaitis, Professor of Wildlife Ecology, University of New Hampshire:

Let shrubs and scattered young trees colonize the site.  Planting isn’t necessary because most areas have a large seed bed.



3.    Is it worth creating habitat if I have less than 15 acres?  How would I do that?

Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge:

If your land is near occupied cottontail sites, than yes, you could have a role in cottontail conservation.  You would want to work with your neighbors to try to ensure travel corridors exist so rabbits could move from one area to another. 

Shrubland nesting birds will also benefit from these small areas of early successional habitat.  In Maine we are finding small areas of coastal shrubland to be important for cottontail.  It appears they may use them as travel corridors or that they may provide key habitat during winter months. 


4.    Early successional forest can take some 10 or more years to grow in on it’s own.  Is there a way to “jumpstart” this by planting certain plants?  If so, what are they, and where might I find some?

Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge:

If you cut a forest, it is likely that it will grow relatively quickly, within a couple years.  However, some areas, like old fields or areas where you want to establish travel corridors could benefit from some assistance.  You could locate native plant nurseries and jumpstart an area by planting native shrubs or trees.  Make sure the species you are planting are truly native and are not cultivars or from other countries.  Gray birch, aspen, blueberry, brambles, willow, sumac, native steeple bush are good choices.  You would need to plant them densely, and it will still take time to create thick cover, but it may be faster than waiting. 


5.    Is there a way to tell if I live in an area where there might already be some NE Cottontails (therefore making it more likely that creating habitat could help)?

Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge:

Again, yes, you could call your local State wildlife agency or a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Office or Refuge or consult available maps.  At this time, the rabbit is not in very many places, in Maine, it is largely confined to York and Cumberland Counties and is commonly found within 50 miles of the coast.


6.    Are there any tax breaks or grant monies available for people who create habitat?  (and where can people obtain that information?)

Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge:

There are State and national programs.  These grant programs and deadlines often change.  Your local Natural Resource Conservation Service may be able to assist as will the booklet (New England Cottontail Landowners Guide) which is currently under development.


 

7.    If I own land that has a ‘land use’ tax status, would I lose that status by cutting trees to create habitat?  Where can I go for more information on this?

Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge:

You would need to consult with State and local agencies to determine tax implications.  Often if you place a conservation easement on your land, you would receive a reduced tax rate regardless of what type of habitat it was maintained in.


Other


1.    Apart from creating habitat, what can I do to help save the NE Cottontail?   Are there advocacy groups or research that I can support?   Could I talk to landowners?

       (Have an answer?  We'd love to hear from you!)


2.    Is there any way that school-age kids could help?

Kate O'Brien, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge:

Kids can definitely help.  First, keep learning about the natural environment and wildlife.  Get outside and appreciate the world around you.  Connect with nature and keep informed.  Try to live lightly on the earth, and make good choices about what you buy and how you live.

Kids can create backyard wildlife habitats, support local land conservation measures and volunteer at habitat restoration events.  You can talk to your friends, neighbors and teachers about what they can do to help wildlife. 

Kids can often create change in ways which adults cannot – Amaya created this website with her mom, if I had tried to do a similar thing I know the responses would have been different and it would not be as good.