New England cottontail rabbit
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New England cottontail rabbit ( Sylvilagus transitionalis ) |
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| Sylvilagus transitionalis | ||||||||||||
| ( Bangs , 1895) |
The New England cottontail ( Sylvilagus transitionalis ) is a mammalian species in the genus of cottontail rabbit in the leporidae . The species is found exclusively in the areas of New England on the east coast of the United States. The species is considered an endangered species as its populations and ranges have declined significantly in recent decades.
features
The New England cottontail rabbit is a medium-sized species of its genus with a head-to-trunk length of 38.6 to 43 centimeters, with the females being slightly larger than the males. The tail length is an average of 4.2 centimeters with a range of 2.2 to 5.7 centimeters in the male and an average of 4.7 centimeters in the female with a range of 3.0 to 6.5 centimeters. The weight of the males is between 756 and 965 grams, that of the females between 802 and 1038 grams. The back color is yellow-brown with black, on the neck they have a noticeable brown spot. The sides of the body are lighter in color and the belly side is white.
Outwardly, the animals are indistinguishable from Appalachian cottontail rabbits . Correspondingly, conclusions about the species can only be made based on the location or molecular biological methods. Compared to the Florida cottontail ( S. floridanus ), both species are slightly smaller with shorter and rounded ears that are bordered with black, and they also have a black spot between the ears. Further differences can be found in the structure of the skull.
distribution
The range of the New England cottontail rabbit originally extended over a large area of New England and included southern Maine , Vermont , New Hampshire , Connecticut , eastern New York , Massachusetts and Rhode Island . According to a study from 2006, the area within this historical distribution area decreased to a total of 12,180 km² and thus by 86%. Accordingly, the species is now found in a few small areas in the coastal area of Maine, the coast and the valley of the Merrimack River in southern New Hampshire, in southeast New York, western and eastern Connecticut east of the Connecticut River , western Massachusetts, parts of Cape Cod restricted in Massachusetts as well as Rhode Island.
Way of life
The New England cottontail rabbit mainly uses open forests and bushes as habitats. The species is described as a habitat specialist because it mainly colonizes early forest stages, which historically were very common in their area of distribution and which have now developed into denser forest stands in which the species can no longer find a habitat. It can also be found mainly near bodies of water whose banks are covered with dense undergrowth.
The New England cottontail rabbit feeds primarily on herbaceous plants, fruits, and seeds. In winter it also eats woody plant parts. The females give birth to an average of 24 pups a year, with the average litter size being around 3.5 pups per litter.
Systematics
The New England cottontail rabbit is assigned to the cottontail rabbit (genus Sylvilagus ) as a separate species . No subspecies are distinguished within the species. It was first described in 1895 by Outram Bangs as Lepus sylvaticus transitionalis , i.e. a subspecies of the species now known as the Florida cottontail ( Sylvilagus floridanus ).
The 1992 by Ralph E. Chapman et al. The species described Appalachian cottontail rabbit was originally also included in the New England cottontail rabbit, but was separated from it after a molecular biological analysis. It was found that the two species had two different sets of chromosomes ( genomes ). While the animals of the northern Appalachians have a diploid chromosome set of 2n = 52 chromosomes, those of the southern Appalachians have only 2n = 46 chromosomes. Chapman et al. accordingly described the last as the new species Sylvilagus obscurus . However, it is possible that this species is assigned as a subspecies to the New England cottontail rabbits.
Hazard and protection
The New England cottontail rabbit is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) due to the sharp decline of the species in its range. The rabbit was originally widespread and common. The available habitats have decreased by about 86% since the 1960s and have become heavily islanded. The population size has been estimated to have decreased by more than 50% since 1994 and the trend continues due to increasing habitat fragmentation and destruction. In addition, the pressure of competition increases due to the spread of the Florida forest rabbit ( S. floridanus ) in the distribution area.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c Joseph A. Chapman: Sylvilagus transitionalis . In: Mammalian Species . tape 55 , 1975, pp. 1–4 ( full text (PDF; 443 kB)).
- ↑ Jeremy Cook: Sylvilagus obscurus in the Animal Diversity Net. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
- ↑ a b J.A. Litvaitis, JP Tash, MK Litvaitis, MN Marchand, AI Kovach, R. Innes: A range-wide survey to determine the current distribution of New England cottontails. Wildlife Society Bulletin 34 (4), 2006; Pp. 1190-1197. ( Bioone )
- ↑ a b c d e f Sylvilagus transitionalis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012.2. Posted by: R. Barry, J. Lazell, J. Litvaitis, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
- ^ Joseph A. Chapman, Gerardo Ceballos: The Cottontails. In: Joseph A. Chapman, John EC Flux (Eds.): Rabbits, Hares and Pikas. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. (PDF; 11.3 MB) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), Gland 1990; Pp. 106-108. ISBN 2-8317-0019-1 .
- ↑ Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Sylvilagus transitionalis in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
- ^ Joseph A. Chapman, J. Gregory Hockman, Magaly M. Ojeda C .: Sylvilagus floridanus . In: Mammalian Species . tape 136 , 1980, pp. 1–8 ( full text (PDF; 960 kB)).
- ^ JA Chapman, KL Cramer, NJ Deppenaar, T J. Robinson: Systematics and biogeography of the New England cottontail, Sylvilagus transitionalis (Bangs, 1895), with the description of a new species from the Appalachian Mountains. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 105, 1992: pp. 841-866.
- ↑ Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Sylvilagus obscurus ( Memento of the original from January 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
literature
- Joseph A. Chapman, Gerardo Ceballos: The Cottontails. In: Joseph A. Chapman, John EC Flux (Eds.): Rabbits, Hares and Pikas. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. (PDF; 11.3 MB) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), Gland 1990; Pp. 106-108. ISBN 2-8317-0019-1 .
- Joseph A. Chapman: Sylvilagus transitionalis . In: Mammalian Species . tape 55 , 1975, pp. 1–4 ( full text (PDF; 443 kB)).
Web links
- Sylvilagus transitionalis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012.2. Posted by: R. Barry, J. Lazell, J. Litvaitis, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2012.