Description & Ecology:
Discernible from other rabbit
species, the Pygmy Rabbit is small in size with short ears, gray color, small
hind legs, and lack of white on the tail.
The females are slightly bigger than the males. Female rabbits are able to produce from
one to four litters per year.
Nearly all the rabbits lie within the sagebrush and have small home
ranges during winter, and larger home ranges during summer and spring. Pygmy Rabbits are mostly active during
the early morning and late afternoon.
They are able to escape from predators by navigating through the shrub
cover of their habitats, along trails, or by escaping into their burrows. The burrows made are usually found at
the base of sagebrush plants.
These sagebrush plants are what their diet mostly consists of, as well
as occasional grasses and forbs.
Predation is generally considered to be the main cause of the rabbits’
mortality. Possible predators
include: badgers, long-tailed weasels, coyotes, bobcats, owls, hawks, etc.
Geographic & Population Changes:
The Pygmy Rabbit has been present
within the Columbia Basin for over 100,000 years. It is the smallest Leoprid in North America. They are apart
of the shrub steppe biome of the Great Basin and regions of the Western U.S. as
well as included portions of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California,
Oregon, and Washington. The
rabbits are found in areas within their boarder distribution where acceptable
habitats exist. They tend to shift
across the landscape in response to different disturbance sources.
Listing Date & Type of Listing:
In the 20th Century, the
Pygmy Rabbits were considered to be rare.
They were listed as an endangered species under an emergency regulation
in 2001 and fully listed as endangered in 2003. In early 2004, the last known wild subpopulation of the
rabbits within the Columbia Basin was eradicated.
Cause of Listing & Main Threats to Continued Existence:
There
are a multitude of reasons as to why the Pygmy Rabbits were listed as
endangered. Some include:
1. The present or threatened destruction or modification of its habitat or surroundings
1. The present or threatened destruction or modification of its habitat or surroundings
2. Over-utilization
for human purposes – commercial, recreational, scientific, etc.
3. Disease and
predation
4. Inadequacy of
existing regulatory mechanisms
5. Other natural
or human-caused factors
It is likely that the large-scale
loss and fragmentation of native shrub habitats have been a huge contributing
factor in the long-term decline of the Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit. The factors
that continue to influence these rabbits and their endangered status include:
-Small
population size
-Loss
of genetic diversity
-Inbreeding
depression
-Lack
of suitable, protected habitats
Description of Recovery Plan:
The goal of the recovery plan is to increase the number, distribution and security of the Pygmy Rabbit. Three general phases of the recovery strategy include: 1) remove or decrease possible threats to the population; 2) reestablishment of an appropriate number and distribution of subpopulations; and finally 3) establishment and protection of a free-ranging population capable of withstanding long-term threats.
The goal of the recovery plan is to increase the number, distribution and security of the Pygmy Rabbit. Three general phases of the recovery strategy include: 1) remove or decrease possible threats to the population; 2) reestablishment of an appropriate number and distribution of subpopulations; and finally 3) establishment and protection of a free-ranging population capable of withstanding long-term threats.
By: Julia Frei
Works Cited
Ferrell,
Megan. "Oregon Zoo Helps Repopulate Species in the Wild."Todaysupsidecom. N.p., 16 Jan. 2014.
Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.todaysupside.com/oregon-zoo-helps-endangered-survive-in-the-wild/>.
"Montana Field
Guide." Pygmy Rabbit.
Montana Natural Heritage Program and Montana Fish, Wildlife Parks, n.d.
Web. 13 Mar. 2015. <http://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=AMAEB04010>.
"Oregon
Zoo's 12-year Effort to Save Endangered Pygmy Rabbits."'ZooBorns' N.p.,
25 July 2012. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2012/07/oregon-zoos-12-year-effort-to-save-endangered-pygmy-rabbits.html>.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. 2012. Recovery Plan for the Columbia Basin Distinct Population Segment
of the Pygmy Rabbit (Brachylagus
idahoensis). Portland, Oregon. ix + 109 pp.
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