Male Swamp Rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) Habitat Selection at Multiple Scales

Abstract

Sylvilagus aquaticus (Swamp Rabbit) is of conservation concern throughout portions of its range, primarily due to habitat loss and alteration. Understanding habitat selection is requisite for natural resource managers providing suitable habitat to support populations of Swamp Rabbits. Swamp Rabbits are thought to be territorial and, as such, emphasis should be placed on males when studying habitat selection. Seasonal (dormant, growth, and senescent) habitat selection by male Swamp Rabbits was assessed at landscape, home-range, and plot scales. In each season, young (<20 yr) bottomland hardwood forests were selected in greater proportion, open field was selected intermediately, and old (>35 yr) bottomland hardwood forests were selected least relative to availability at the landscape scale. Male Swamp Rabbits selected home ranges from the landscape to include access to higher-elevation habitats, perhaps important during flood events. At the home-range scale, young bottomland hardwood forests and open fields were selected most during the dormant and senescent seasons, respectively, and old bottomland hardwood forests were selected least during the senescent season; the remaining cover types in each season were selected in proportion to their availability. At the home-range scale, locations with suitable cover were selected suggesting predation-risk was important at this scale. At the plot scale, predictor variables indicated Swamp Rabbits selected sites conducive to daytime resting, nighttime foraging, or latrine use. We present the first work that examines habitat selection of male Swamp Rabbits at multiple scales. Our results emphasize the importance of interspersion of cover types and stand age selected by male Swamp Rabbits.