The New England cottontail lives in parts of New England and eastern New York. “The pet industry is quite large, though, so the risk of getting the disease here is not low,” said Dylan Ferreira, a wildlife biologist at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM). Both species of wild rabbit in Rhode Island, the eastern cottontail and New England cottontail, are highly susceptible to the disease. In 2013, the State of Connecticut embarked on a habitat restoration project in Litchfield County, clearing 57 acres of mature woods to create a meadowland and second-growth forest needed by the rabbit. Also, its range is expanding, while the New England cottontail’s range is diminishing. The disease can be traced to Europe and Asia, but outbreaks have been reported this year in nine states, resulting in the death of several species of wild cottontails, hares and jackrabbits, mostly in the Southwest. Its range reduced by about 86 percent to five smaller populations across New England and eastern New York. Cottontails, and eastern cottontails in particular, may also feed on crops, such as peas, beans, and lettuce. Surveys are being conducted to identify areas for creating suitable habitat and to identify areas with suitable habitat that may contain remnant populations. Scientists are studying the rabbit’s habits, dispersal patterns, genetics, and behavior is building a solid foundation of knowledge to support the species’ restoration. “The virus can survive for a long time in the environment outside of the rabbit — it’s shed through their urine and blood, it’s in carcasses and can contaminate food sources — so even though an infected rabbit may have died and been removed from the land, the virus could still be there when a new rabbit moves through.”. DEM has a fact sheet with detailed recommendations for rabbit breeders and wildlife rehabilitators on biosecurity practices to prevent the spread of the disease. “Can we get them all? Please include your name, and where you took the picture. This was followed by introductions on nearby Martha’s Vineyard, ostensibly as a raptor prey

Because of its high productivity rate, the cottontail rabbit is an important link in the food chain and a principal prey item for many species. Habitat and Diet: Eastern cottontails tend to use open fields, meadows, yards, and other grassy areas. The remaining 25% of the funding is matched by the Connecticut Wildlife Division. Environmental news for Southern New England, About   |   Staff & Board   |   Advertise | Privacy Policy, ecoRI News  //  10 Davol Sq., Suite 100, Providence, RI 02903   //   E-MAIL, It's Complicated: Climate Change in Southern New England, Environmental Enforcement in Rhode Island, Deadly Rabbit Disease Threatens Rare Cottontails, Uptick in Urban Rat Sightings Linked to Pandemic, Volunteers Discover R.I.’s Rarest Turtle at New Sites, Scientists Fight Tree-Killing Beetle with Beetle-Killing Wasps, Complicated Relationships Entwined to Produce Shark Attacks, Newly Arrived Leaf Disease Could Kill Region's Beech Trees, Additional Fish Passage Improvements Planned for Pawcatuck River, Entomologist Keeps Watch Over Quarantined Insects, Sand-Filled Sacks to Give River Herring a Super Boost, Narragansett Bay Warming Causes Seasonal Shift in Jellyfish-Like Zooplankton-Devouring Creature, Get the latest ecoRI News headlines in your inbox. This high-level collaboration between state and federal natural resource agencies, non-governmental organizations, land trusts, and private landowners has set a new standard for wildlife conservation. [8], The New England cottontail weighs between 995 and 1347 g and is between 398 and 439 mm long, with dark brown coats with a "penciled effect" and tails with white undersides. The eastern cottontail is now more common in it. If they’re infected and he puts them in a hutch outside, wild rabbits will be drawn to the smell of the hay and food and there will be an interaction,” Perrotti said. Its range reduced by about 86 percent to five smaller populations across New England and eastern New York. [8] New England cottontails reach sexual maturity early, at no more than one year old, and many juvenile New England cottontails will breed in their first season. A New England cottontail keeps an eye peeled for predators while feeding./D. “What we’re most afraid of is some dude that moves East with his domestic rabbits. However, this feature is not present in all cottontails nor is it unique to the genus. Captive-bred animals released on a Narragansett Bay island in Rhode Island are now reproducing, and these rabbits are currently being used as a source for establishing new populations. Historically, New England cottontails were distributed statewide in Connecticut, but limited research over the past 50 years indicated that populations have declined in abundance and distribution in both the state and throughout New England. Poole, USFWS. Today there are more eastern cottontails in New England than the native rabbit species. The eastern cottontail is more abundant than the New England cottontail. As New England's overgrown fields have been increasingly plowed under to make way for more roads and houses, our only native rabbit has lost the habitat it …