Brush Rabbit[1]
Brush Rabbit (Finley National Wildlife Refuge)
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN) [2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Lagomorpha Family: Leporidae Genus: Sylvilagus Species: S. bachmani
Binomial name
Sylvilagus bachmani (Waterhouse, 1839)

The Brush Rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani), or Western Brush Rabbit, is a species of cottontail rabbit found in western coastal regions of North America, from the Columbia River in Oregon to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Its range extends as far east as the eastern sides of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1168x880, 452 KB) Summary Sylvilagus bachmani Description: Brush Rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani) Identified by: Greg Fitzpatrick Viewpoint location: Headquarters, William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon, USA. Lat/Long: 44. ... William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge was created to provide wintering habitat for Dusky Canada Geese. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn2. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. ... The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including those that produce milk, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... Families Leporidae Ochotonidae Prolagidae (extinct) The Lagomorphs, order Lagomorpha, are an order of mammals of which there are two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). ... Genera Pentalagus Bunolagus Nesolagus Romerolagus Brachylagus Sylvilagus Oryctolagus Poelagus Caprolagus Pronolagus Lepus Leporids are the approximately 50 species of rabbits and hares which form the family Leporidae. ... Species Sylvilagus aquaticus Swamp Rabbit Sylvilagus auduboni Desert Cottontail Sylvilagus bachmani Brush Rabbit Sylvilagus brasiliensis Forest Rabbit Sylvilagus cunicularis Mexican Cottontail Sylvilagus dicei Dices Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus graysoni Tres Marias Rabbit Sylvilagus insonus Omilteme Cottontail Sylvilagus mansuetus San Jose Brush Rabbit Sylvilagus nuttallii Mountain Cottontail Sylvilagus... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... George Robert Waterhouse (1810 - 1888) was an English naturalist. ... Type species Lepus sylvaticus Bachman, 1837 (=Lepus sylvaticus floridanus J. Allen, 1890) Species 16, see text The cottontail rabbits are the 16 lagomorph species in the genus Sylvilagus, found in the Americas. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... The Columbia River (French: fleuve Columbia) is a river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. ... Official language(s) (none)[1] Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ... Baja California Peninsula (highlighted) The Baja California Peninsula or Lower California is a peninsula in the west of Mexico. ... This article is about the mountain range in the Western United States. ... A cascade is a term for a waterfall, or series of waterfalls, and is applied abstractly to many different concepts involving a series of steps or effects that follow one after the other. ...

Habitat

The Brush Rabbit inhabits dense, brushy cover, most commonly in chaparral vegetation. It also occurs in oak and conifer habitats and it will live in brush or grassland, and form networks of runways through the vegetation. The Brush Rabbit does not dig its own burrow or den, but uses the burrow of other species, brush piles, or forms. In the San Francisco Bay Area, it was found that the Brush Rabbit concentrates its activities at the edge of brush and exhibits much less use of grassy areas. It uses the interior brush of the wilderness and it was also found that this may be a better environment for it than the chaparral one. Studies done on the Brush Rabbit in Oregon also showed that it rarely left the brushy areas it inhabits. Brush may be used more in the drier seasons while grasses are used in the wetter seasons in relation to growth of annual vegetation. Use of habitat also probably is related to the breeding season. Chaparral is a shrubland plant community found primarily in California, USA, that is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild, wet winters and hot dry summers) and wildfire. ... Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants, and is, by far, the most abundant biotic element of the biosphere. ... A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. ... Look up den in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... USGS satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... For other uses, see Grass (disambiguation). ... Habitat (which is Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular species live and grow. ... For other uses, see Reproduction (disambiguation) Reproduction is the biological process by which new individual organisms are produced. ...

Physical description

Brush Rabbit

The Brush Rabbit is smaller than many of the other cottontails, and unlike most of them, the underside of its tail is grey rather than white (which may be why its common name does not include the word "cottontail"). The upperside of the Brush Rabbit's fur varies from light brown to grey in color, while the underside is usually always white. Adult rabbits measure anywhere from 10-14 inches long and rarely weigh over two pounds. Image File history File links American_Rabbit. ... Image File history File links American_Rabbit. ... For other uses, see Fur (disambiguation). ...

Large numbers of geographically defined subspecies have been proposed, including in Oregon, ubericolor; in California, cinerascens, mariposae, riparius, tehamae and trowbridgii; and in Baja California, cerrosensis, exiguus, howelli, peninsularis and rosaphagus. Subspecies bachmani, macrorhinus and virgulti are less geographically restricted. Sylvilagus bachmani riparius, the Riparian Brush Rabbit, is highly endangered; formerly numerous along the San Joaquin River and Stanislaus River, it is now reduced to a population of a few hundred in the Caswell Memorial State Park. Of the various proposed subspecies, only the following are currently recognized; the others are synonyms: S. b. ubericolor, S. b. cinerascens, S. b. bachmani, S. b. exiguus, S. b. howelli, S. b. cerrosensis.^[1] Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... An endangered species is a species whose population is so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct. ... The San Joaquin River, 330 miles (530 km) long, is the second-longest river in California, United States. ... The Stanislaus River in California is one of the largest tributaries of the San Joaquin River. ...

Reproduction

Brush Rabbit mating, as with other rabbits, may occur year-round but peak breeding seasons are between February and August. The gestation period of the Brush Rabbit female is about 22 days. A female Brush Rabbit can have as many as five litters per year but two to three is more common. One to seven young are born per litter and they are altricial. The average number born per litter is three. Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. ... A litter of pigs A litter is a group of newly born, young animals from the same mother and usually from one set of parents. ... In bird and mammal biology, altricial species are those whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile, have closed eyes, lack hair or down, and must be cared for by the adults. ...

Behavior

A trapping study of the Brush Rabbit in the Berkeley Hills in northern California indicated that males had larger home ranges than females at all times of the year, and especially in May when females were moving the least. It is estimated the home ranges of the Brush Rabbit average just under one acre for males and just under half an acre for females. The shape of these home ranges are usually circular but depending on the vegetation can be different in size and shape. Range use probably is not circular in shape or uniform, but rather consists of a series of runways that directly connect high use areas within brush habitat. Intraspecific socio-spatial behavior appears to be variable and may reflect local resource conditions. Several rabbits have been observed to feed in the same area simultaneously, but maintained inter-individual distances of one to 24 feet before aggressive chases occurred. It has been shown that females tended to not overlap while males showed relatively extensive overlapping and this may indicate that females are territorial. Groups of Brush Rabbits may serve social purposes, such as predator detection, but this has not been proven. The Berkeley Hills are a range of the Pacific Coast Ranges which overlook the northeast side of the valley in which San Francisco Bay is situated. ...

Food

The Brush Rabbit feeds mainly on grasses and forbs, especially green clover, though it will also take berries and browse from bushes. For other uses, see Grass (disambiguation). ... A forb is a flowering plant with a non-woody stem that is not a grass. ... Species See text Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trifolium Clover (Trifolium) is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the pea family Fabaceae. ... This article is about the fruit. ...

Predators and survival techniques

Its predators include the Cougar, the Coyote, foxes, the Bobcat, weasels, and various raptors and snakes. Its survival strategies include remaining immobile, when in brushy areas, and zig-zag running when found and/or in open spaces. For other uses, see Cougar (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Coyote (disambiguation). ... This article is about the animal. ... Binomial name (Schreber, 1777) The Bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a North American mammal of the cat family, Felidae. ... For other uses, see Weasel (disambiguation). ... Orders Accipitriformes     Cathartidae     Pandionidae     Accipitridae     Sagittariidae Falconiformes     Falconidae A bird of prey or raptor is a bird that hunts its food, especially one that preys on mammals or other birds. ... For other uses, see Snake (disambiguation). ...

Human interaction and impact

The Brush Rabbit is not hunted as are many other cottontail species, probably because of its small size. It is not a major cause of damage to crops or other human developments in its habitat. Certain subspecies of the Brush Rabbit are considered endangered and are protected by state and federal laws.

References