Life History, Status and Management of the New England Cottontail

1. Life History, Status and Management of the New England Cottontail Anthony Tur US Fish and Wildlife Service New England Field Office Concord, New Hampshire

2. The Petition Process Conducted Regional Survey - Red circuit would need to be completed to finalize listing

3. Photo courtesy Anne Schnell

4. Eastern cottontail introduced to areas west of the Hudson River in the early 1900s Photo courtesy Dr. John Litvaitis/ UNH

5. Slide courtesy Dr. John Litvaitis/ UNH

6. D = ear length (0.18311) + mass (0.00254) - black spot (1.17860) + white spot (1.31396) - black edge (1.56785) - 11.9050 positive values = eastern cottontails negative values = New England cottontails Slide courtesy Dr. John Litvaitis/ UNH

7. New England Eastern Slide courtesy Dr. John Litvaitis/ UNH

8. New England Cottontails require large stands of “thickets. In comparison, eastern cottontails can be found in more open habitats, such as yards. Anthony Tur/ USFWS

9. No Evidence of Hybridization between New England and eastern cottontails.

10. Obligate users 1.0 New England cottontails RELATIVE USE 0.5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 AGE OF STAND Slide courtesy Dr. John Litvaitis/ UNH

11. Dense Mountain Laurel Understory Slide adapted from Dr. John Litvaitis/ UNH

12. Scrub Oak Slide adapted from Dr. John Litvaitis/ UNH

13. Green Briar Tangles Anthony Tur/ USFWS

14. Utility Rights-of-Way Anthony Tur/ USFWS

15. ?? RETURN TO PRE-COLUMBIAN CONDITIONS? Slide courtesy Dr. John Litvaitis/ UNH

16. FORESTS IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES 9% 4% Trani et al. (2001) Slide courtesy Dr. John Litvaitis/ UNH

17. SURVEY OF REMNANT POPULATIONS-no recent comprehensive surveys were available to inform the review process - final results were published in 2004

18. Slide courtesy Dr. John Litvaitis/ UNH

19. Slide courtesy Dr. John Litvaitis/ UNH

20. Slide courtesy Dr. John Litvaitis/ UNH

21. Range fragmented into 5 induced metapopulations Slide courtesy Dr. John Litvaitis/ UNH

22. Summary of Findings • Is NEC a Species in Decline? • Yes! • 80% Contraction in Range Since 1960. • Recent range-wide survey documented NEC in 154 of 2,333 patches searched. • ~ 60% patches were considered habitat sinks.

23. What is the Primary Threat to the Species Present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of the species range or habitat. - Specifically a reduction in the quantity, quality and connectivity of patches.

24. Listing Priority Number

25. Addressing the Threats Through habitat management, this species could be recovered. The “Landowner’s Guide to New England Cottontail Habitat Management” provides an introduction to many beneficial practices and provides contact information for obtaining assistance in your area. Electronic copies can be downloaded at http://www.edf.org/article.cfm?contentID=8829&redirect=cottontail Printed copies are available by contacting Anthony Tur at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New England Field Office, (603) 223-2541.