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Knowing Nature . . .

Eastern Cottontails Are Here to Stay

July 3, 2007
Jocie Ingram

Eastern Cottontail: photo © Phil Myers courtesy of www.animaldiversity.org

In the long evenings of early summer, I've seen small brown rabbits hop out into the open to munch on fresh grass, dandelions and other greens. Until about five years ago, I had never seen one of these wild bunnies, or Eastern Cottontails in the Comox Valley or further north. They are newcomers to our area, and it seems they like living here as much as we do.

The Eastern Cottontail Rabbit Sylvilagus floridanus is small and brown, with red-brown patches between the ears and shoulders. It has a powder puff "cotton" tail that flashes white when it runs. As the name implies, this rabbit is not native to the west. It is indigenous to eastern and central North America and ranges from the Great Lakes south to Central America.

Eastern Cottontails were introduced for hunting purposes to western Washington in the late 1920's and early 1930's. Shortly thereafter they dispersed to the lower Fraser Valley in BC. It wasn't until 1964 that cottontails were introduced to Sooke, on southern Vancouver Island. Since then, the rabbits, which can reproduce rapidly and emigrate long distances, have moved northward along eastern Vancouver Island. They have been in Union Bay for some time, but have more recently spread to the Comox Valley and Campbell River, and have been seen as far north as Sayward.

The expression "breeds like a rabbit" is not an understatement. Cottontails breed from January to September, and have 2-4 litters a year with up to 8 young per litter. They can reproduce at 2-3 months old and live an average of 15 months. Nests are shallow, well-hidden burrows lined with plant matter and fur. Cottontails prefer habitats that have open, grassy areas for feeding interspersed with shrub thickets for shelter.

Though cute bunnies may be something of a tourist attraction, there is a downside to rabbits too. Rabbits can alter ecosystems by over-grazing. This is particularly evident in the sensitive Garry Oak meadows of southern Vancouver Island, where cottontails pose a threat to rare plant species.

Cottontails are also a menace to gardeners. To keep rabbits out of the garden, it is recommended that a fence with mesh no larger that 5cm x 5cm be used. The bottom of the fence must be buried 10-15 cm to be effective. Finally rabbits, like other rodents, can carry parasites and diseases. Tularaemia or "rabbit fever" can infect humans, and handling of sick rabbits should be avoided. With the increase of rabbits, it is expected that predator populations will also be affected. Hawks, owls, snakes, crows and ravens all feed on rabbits.

BC is home to one native species of Hare, the Snowshoe Hare and 2 species of rabbits, the White-tailed Jackrabbit and Nuttall's Cottontail. Vancouver Island, however, has no native rabbits or hares. Apart from the Eastern Cottontail, the only other species of rabbit found on Vancouver Island is the introduced European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus. This single species is the ancestor to 80 varieties of Domestic rabbit.

Though Domestic rabbits may vary greatly in size and colour, the "original" European Rabbit is large and brown, with longer ears than the Eastern Cottontail. European Rabbits are well established on the San Juan Island archipelago in Washington. They have also been introduced to several places in southwestern BC and some islands, but populations have remained small and in some cases have disappeared completely. In our area, only the Domestic descendant of the European Rabbit can be found, the "pet bunny set free".

Eastern Cottontails easily outnumber Domestic escapees in our area. Once established, they are difficult to remove, and no attempts have been made to cull rabbits in our district. Perhaps predators will keep them in check. For better, or for worse, we'd better get used having rabbits around. It is likely that the Eastern Cottontail is here to stay.