Role of Predators, Terrain Ruggedness, and Plant Composition for the Abundance of the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus)

Yury Glebskiy; Iván Castellanos-Vargas; Daniel Dorantes-Villalobos; Zenón Cano-Santana

doi:10.1894/0038-4909.63.59

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1 March 2018 Role of Predators, Terrain Ruggedness, and Plant Composition for the Abundance of the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus)

Yury Glebskiy, Iván Castellanos-Vargas, Daniel Dorantes-Villalobos, Zenón Cano-Santana

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The Southwestern Naturalist, 63(1):59-63 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909.63.59

Abstract

We studied factors that affect the abundance of feces of the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagusfloridanus) in an ecological reserve in Mexico City. We measured the abundance of fecal pellets as an estimator of cottontail abundance, as well as different factors that may affect their abundance: predator presence, terrain ruggedness, soil depth, and plant cover. We found that predator presence was the most important factor reducing the abundance of cottontails, whereas terrain ruggedness was the second most important because the cottontail cannot climb effectively. Plants were less significant than expected but Manfreda scabra had a substantial positive effect on cottontail abundance.

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Yury Glebskiy, Iván Castellanos-Vargas, Daniel Dorantes-Villalobos, and Zenón Cano-Santana "Role of Predators, Terrain Ruggedness, and Plant Composition for the Abundance of the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus)," The Southwestern Naturalist 63(1), 59-63, (1 March 2018). https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909.63.59

Received: 17 August 2017; Accepted: 24 July 2018; Published: 1 March 2018

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