New England Cottontail Rabbits in New Hampshire

New England Cottontail Rabbits

New England cottontail rabbits, recently added to the endangered species list in New Hampshire, need your help. Volunteers are needed to help locate and survey habitats for these rare rabbits. For more information, see below or check out our new brochure!

Life History
There are two species of cottontail rabbits in New Hampshire. Both the Eastern cottontail and the New England cottontail occur in the state, but only the New England cottontail is native to New Hampshire. New England cottontails prefer “early-successional” or thicket habitats such as overgrown fields and regenerating forests usually less than 20-25 years old. As a forest matures beyond this point, the tree canopy shades out understory plants and rabbits no longer have adequate food or cover. 

Shrubland Habitats
Thicket habitats provide rabbits with abundant food and dense understory cover, which protects them from predators. The New England cottontail’s home range can vary from ½ to 8 acres, with adult males having larger home ranges than females. These small rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk. They feed on grasses and leaves of wildflowers and other non-woody plants in the summer, and they eat the bark and twigs of shrubs and trees in winter. Click here to read and download a NEW Shrublands brochure that will help you recognize, understand, and help conserve shrubland habitats.

A Species in Decline
Despite the rabbit’s reputation for prolific breeding, the New England cottontail is being considered for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, and is currently listed as an endangered species in the state of New Hampshire. The present-day population of New England cottontails occupies less than 25% of their historic range. As recently as the 1960’s, these rabbits were found throughout southern and central New Hampshire.

The New England Cottontail Recovery Team
Several partners (New Hampshire Fish and Game, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, UNH Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, and UNH Cooperative Extension) have come together in the state of New Hampshire to work towards the recovery of the New England Cottontail.

Volunteers Needed in Southern New Hampshire!
Volunteers from southern New Hampshire (particularly the Seacoast and Merrimack Valley) are needed to help with winter rabbit pellet surveys. We are hoping to begin the project in the winter of 2009, with plans for several years of surveying. If you are interested in learning more about helping in the recovery efforts of New England Cottontails, send an email describing your volunteer interest to Emma Carcagno, Wildlife Program Assistant, UNH Cooperative Extension: emma.carcagno@unh.edu

Land Stewardship for New England Conttontails
A recent publication details how landowners can help New England cottontail rabbits through management practices. Click here to read or download this new publication: A Landowner's Guide to New England Cottontail Habitat Management

Click here for the NH Wildlife Action Plan species profile on New England cottontail, detailing the current status, threats to the species, research needs, and recommended conservation actions to help New England cottontails in New Hampshire.

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