Olivia Kilgore
Description & Ecology of Organism
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| Pygmy Rabbit http://www.gsseser.com/Newsletter/archive/pygmy.jpg |
The pygmy rabbit has bounced around from genus to genus since it was first classified in 1891, but currently resides in the Brachylagus genus, and is related to other rabbits and hares. As they are the lowest delineation in the taxonomic family with no further subspecies, they are also the smallest leporid in North America. This particular rabbit generally is found in the Great Basin, which is in the mountainous north west of the United States. Grey in color with accents of brown, these rabbits have short ears and a do not have the typical white fur on their tails, and unlike usual trends in mammals, the female rabbits are larger than the males.
Geographic and Population Changes
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| The Great Basin http://img.geocaching.com/cache/large/d663da10-aa75-4ed7-ae31-c91a4a9b562c.jpg |
The pygmy rabbit generally resides in the shrubs (sagebrush) of the mountainous western United States known as the Great Basin. They can also be found a bit eastward. Semiarid areas are optimal, though pygmy rabbits will migrate (their home ranges are small) to wherever weather and other disturbances such as flooding or agricultural endeavors cause the least trouble. This migration tends to be through areas if dense vegetation and also across plains. Sagebrush is one of the most important habitat components for them because it provides not only cover but food as well year round. Female rabbits reach maturity as just a year old, and will give birth to about 3.5 young each time through January-June. The mothers burrow and nest during this time, and though half of the young can die before two months of age, mothers can give birth up to 4 times every year.
Listing Date & Type of Listing
The pygmy rabbit was listed under the ESA specifically in Washington state as fully endangered on March 5, 2003. The threat to their existence in this area was initially recognized in 2001 (11/30), when less than 30 of these rabbits were found in a statewide search. Unfortunately though some were captured into captivity, the last genetically pure pygmy of this region was determined to have died in an Oregon zoo in 2008 (efforts for recovery here are still active).
Cause of Listing & Main Threats to Existence
Pygmy rabbits are greatly affected by the primary cause of extinction which is habitat fragmentation, by way of agricultural developments. This issue is what has initially caused them to decline in numbers, which has made them all the more vulnerable to stochastic factors such as weather changes, disease, predation, and other chance events. Each of these factors may not being occurring all at once, but the fact that they are all having an influence at one point or another causes the species' endangerment. Because these rabbits rely so heavily on the presence of sagebrush in their environment, its removal by farmers and subsequent replacement by other plant species is quite detrimental.
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| Sagebrush is a necessary component for pygmy rabbit habitats | http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/images/sagebrush/artemisia_tridentata_04_lg.jpg |
Description of Recovery Plan
The goal of the recovery plan is to have the species de-listed from endangerment through the phases of counteracting the imminent threats to the population, reintroducing a successful population to the area, and then from that point protect the resiliency of said population. This strategy will be put into effect through biological planning and conservation design to work with the lay of the land in such a way that the rabbits will be able to survive without needing human interference. Free-ranging rabbits will be monitored in terms of reproductive success and their habitats maintained until they are back to acceptable numbers. This plan would be carried out with the hopeful funding brought about by educating about the growing concern of extinction.
To learn more about what you can do to help save pygmy rabbits, please visit refugeassociation.org
Works Cited
Bolen, Anne. "Return of the
Mighty Pygmy Rabbit." National Wildlife Federation. N.p., 11 Mar.
2013. Web. 08 June 2015.
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+109p
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