Home Range And Movements Of The Eastern Cottontail In Kansas Part 2

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The home range and movements of the cottontail were studied on a 90-acre area of the University of Kansas Natural History Reservation from February, 1954, to March, 1956. Eighty-nine cottontails were identified in the field 59 times, trailed 70 times and captured in live-traps 326 times in 7,850 trap nights. Home range of the cottontail was calculated by five methods, using the same set of data, and the results were compared. A composite method was used, which permitted the use of more data than any other one method.

The maintenance of a home range is of survival value to the cottontail.

Knowledge of the home range is of value to man when control or propagation of cottontail populations is desired. Cottontails establish a home range where they are born and enlarge it to nearly full size the first winter. Home ranges of cottontails are overlapped by those of others regardless of s.e.x or age. No territory is maintained.

The cottontail makes movements to forage, to seek cover from predators and the weather, to reproduce, build nests, care for young, keep pace with changes in vegetation through the year, and escape unusually severe climatic conditions. Movements may be caused by desire for acquaintance with surroundings and other animals, escape from undesirable surroundings or animals, or merely release of nervous energy.

When foraging, cottontails moved 175 to 325 feet per day, mostly near woodland edges, and used from 10 to 20 per cent of the home range. When escaping from predators cottontails moved 30 to 1200 feet and used 5 to 70 per cent of their home ranges, depending on the type of pursuit.

Some cottontails that were followed, ran in almost circular courses for as far as 3000 feet and covered as much as 90 per cent of their home ranges. Paths or runways were not used except in deep snow or very dense vegetation. Movements were limited by deep snow. When temperatures were unfavorably high or low, cottontails sought cover deep in the woods or under rock outcrops, and in dry stream beds. In moderate weather resting places in gra.s.s forms, brush piles and thickets were used.

Both males and females moved farther in the breeding season than in the rest of the year, but females that were caring for young in summer and late spring moved shorter distances than they did when not so engaged in autumn and winter.

Cottontails were most active at dawn and especially, dusk, and were more active on dark nights than on moonlight nights. Cottontails were most active when the air temperature was between 0 F. and 33 F. and when rain was not falling. Activity increased as the percentage of ground covered by snow increased and as the abundance of food decreased. Activity did not vary with physiological condition except that as body weight decreased activity increased--probably because of lack of food.

The home range is used most intensively near centers of activity that are near woodland edges or in other areas of good cover. Cottontails often ranged through the woods and along edges but did not cross open areas more than 75 feet wide. Cottontails use their home range most intensively in winter when they are forced to move long distances in poor cover, searching for food. More than one cottontail may use sites of good cover at the same time and two or three used the same resting place at different times.

Two instances of homing were observed; cottontails moved 1,100 and 1,800 feet to return to their home ranges, but one cottontail that escaped 1700 feet from home failed to return.

The average home range of 18 cottontails for whom adequate data were gathered was 8.34 acres. The home ranges of males averaged 1.16 acre larger than those of females. In summer, cottontails increased their home ranges 5 to 15 per cent by taking advantage of cover provided by the more abundant vegetation. Cottontails three weeks to five months of age lived in home ranges of between 0.1 and 4.0 acres and enlarged their home ranges almost to their ultimate full size in the first winter.

LITERATURE CITED

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