Pygmy Rabbit Recovery Plan Explored:
Not Such a Pygmy Problem
by Kody Riewthong
Background:
The Pygmy Rabbit, also known as Brachylagus idahoensis, was listed as an endangered species in 2003. Standing at a mere 9.3 to 11.7 inches, the pygmy rabbit hails from the Columbian Basin ecosystem spreading from northern Oregon through eastern Washington. The pygmy rabbit can be found frolicking (but not so much anymore) within areas of tall and dense sagebrush. Tall sagebrush is its main source of shelter and diet, with its winter diet booming to 99% of solely sagebrush. As a k-selected species, these rabbits breed at a very young age. Breeding is highly dependent on female readiness as each prospective offspring bearer can only reproduce a year after each birth with a yield of 3 litters on average. Sadly, the short lifespan, ranging from three to five years, is highly credited to predation (Weasels, Coyotes, Red foxes, Long-eared Owl, etc.), which ultimately lead to its endangered state.
Geographic Change:
The pygmy rabbit has never been distributed continuously in its own range in its history on the North American continent. However, they can be found wherever there is suitable habitat across the landscape. Due to much human disturbance (crop production, grazing, fire, etc,) habitable patches often shift making room for more matrices often inhabitable, leaving these small rabbits without any cover or protection from predators. Prior to human settlement in the Western U.S., dense plains of sagebrush and alluvial fans combined for good travel corridors from habitat to habitat. Since then, it has been a downward spiral for Pygmy Rabbits looking for habitable environments to settle in.
Endangerment:
Pygmy Rabbits face a number of factors that lead to the decline of its already small species, but the increasing fragmentation of native shrub habitats due to agricultural expansion is number one on the list. However, as far as any endangered species becomes endangered, there is a threshold that a species hits, and from that point on, many other factors such as predation, disease, genetic homogeneity, and inbreeding depression exponentially increase the endangerment of the species.
The Pygmy Rabbit was emergency listed as endangered in 2001 in the Columbia Basin.
Recovery Plan:
The Department of Fish and Wildlife Services outlines three phrases of its recovery strategy in its attempt to bring this species back :
Background:The Pygmy Rabbit, also known as Brachylagus idahoensis, was listed as an endangered species in 2003. Standing at a mere 9.3 to 11.7 inches, the pygmy rabbit hails from the Columbian Basin ecosystem spreading from northern Oregon through eastern Washington. The pygmy rabbit can be found frolicking (but not so much anymore) within areas of tall and dense sagebrush. Tall sagebrush is its main source of shelter and diet, with its winter diet booming to 99% of solely sagebrush. As a k-selected species, these rabbits breed at a very young age. Breeding is highly dependent on female readiness as each prospective offspring bearer can only reproduce a year after each birth with a yield of 3 litters on average. Sadly, the short lifespan, ranging from three to five years, is highly credited to predation (Weasels, Coyotes, Red foxes, Long-eared Owl, etc.), which ultimately lead to its endangered state.
Geographic Change:
The pygmy rabbit has never been distributed continuously in its own range in its history on the North American continent. However, they can be found wherever there is suitable habitat across the landscape. Due to much human disturbance (crop production, grazing, fire, etc,) habitable patches often shift making room for more matrices often inhabitable, leaving these small rabbits without any cover or protection from predators. Prior to human settlement in the Western U.S., dense plains of sagebrush and alluvial fans combined for good travel corridors from habitat to habitat. Since then, it has been a downward spiral for Pygmy Rabbits looking for habitable environments to settle in.
Endangerment:
Pygmy Rabbits face a number of factors that lead to the decline of its already small species, but the increasing fragmentation of native shrub habitats due to agricultural expansion is number one on the list. However, as far as any endangered species becomes endangered, there is a threshold that a species hits, and from that point on, many other factors such as predation, disease, genetic homogeneity, and inbreeding depression exponentially increase the endangerment of the species.
The Pygmy Rabbit was emergency listed as endangered in 2001 in the Columbia Basin.
Recovery Plan:
The Department of Fish and Wildlife Services outlines three phrases of its recovery strategy in its attempt to bring this species back :
- Removal or abatement of imminent threats in order to prevent the extinction of the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit;
- reestablishment of an appropriate number and distribution of free-ranging sub-populations; and
- establishment and protection of a sufficiently resilient, free-ranging population that would be expected to withstand foreseeable long-term threats.
At the forefront of endangerment for the Pygmy Rabbit, main threats to the emergency listing were loss of genetic diversity, inbreeding depression, small and declining population size, and lack of viable habitats. Due to swift action as a result of this emergency plan, the aforementioned threats to the Pygmy Rabbit have been lessened across the board. As we have learned time and time again with species that go in and out of endangerment, and as the basis of conservation biology, it is important that we humans understand that it is the environment and the reasons behind habitat degradation in order to fully make a comeback with these Pygmy Rabbits; without suitable environments for this species to thrive in, then there is no way they will have any chance. Moreover, it is a part of the Recovery Plan to put emphasis on recovery sites where these Pygmy Rabbits can have a long period of breeding in peace hopefully where many more of these mammals can thrive and be restored to its natural state in its natural habitat. Currently in Washington, most once-suitable habitats have been altered to such states that they can longer provide for populations of Pygmy Rabbits. Crops have grown in places that once housed burrows for Pygmy Rabbits, and overgrazing occurs where little sagebrush remains. Unfortunately, there isn't a good outlook for these harmless little rabbits, although with the help of numerous recovery plans covering both short and long term goals, Pygmy Rabbits may once thrive again.
Sources:
Sources:
- http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/Columbia%20Basin%20Pygmy%20Rabbit%20Final%20RP.pdfmbia%20Basin%20Pygmy%20Rabbit%20Final%20RP.pdf
- http://www.fws.gov/nevada/nv_species/pygmy_rabbit.html
- http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/pygmy_rabbit/
- http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=A0GG
- http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01523/
- http://www.nwf.org/news-and-magazines/national-wildlife/animals/archives/2013/return-of-the-mighty-pygmy-rabbit.aspx
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