Foraging and habitat use of eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) in an urban landscape

Abstract

Urban landscapes such as college campuses, arboretums, and backyards provide excellent habitats for education and research into animal behavior. We investigated aspects of the foraging activity of free-ranging Eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) on the campuses of the University of Illinois at Chicago and Lawrence University. We used giving-up densities (GUD) to test for habitat selection and patch-use behavior by cottontails inhabiting an urban landscape with a gradient of shrub and tree cover. In addition, we used small garden fences around feeding trays to test their effect as obstacles to the foraging of cottontails. Foraging activity was significantly higher under cover than in the open. GUDs were significantly lower in proximity to cover; in addition, shrubs were preferred over low-laying trees as the source of cover. Camera trap photos revealed solitary foraging, highest in the late afternoon and early morning. We demonstrated that surrounding a food patch with 3 or 4 fences increased the cottontails’ GUDs. Similar to natural habitats, urban landscapes offer heterogeneous environments that force their inhabitants to allocate their foraging activity according to their perceived stresses. Studying effect of habitat complexity on foraging responses provides useful tools to study ecological interactions and can help minimize the damage that cottontails cause within urban environments such as city parks and private gardens.