Register      Login
Wildlife Research Wildlife Research Society
Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Home range, activity and habitat use of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in arid Australia: implications for control

K. E. Moseby A B , S. De Jong A , N. Munro A and A. Pieck A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Arid Recovery, PO Box 150, Roxby Downs, SA 5725, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: arid.recovery@wmc.com

Wildlife Research 32(4) 305-311 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR04013
Submitted: 12 February 2004  Accepted: 3 May 2005   Published: 5 July 2005

Abstract

The home range, activity and habitat use of wild European rabbits in northern South Australia were compared during winter and summer, and results used to suggest improvements to control techniques. Average home range was significantly smaller in summer (2.1 ha) than winter (4.2 ha) and there was no significant difference between the sexes. Rabbits used both dune and swale habitat but most warrens and more surface fixes were recorded in dune habitat in both seasons. Proportionally more surface fixes were found in swale habitat at night than during the day. The proportion of diurnal fixes on the surface was not significantly influenced by season, averaging 47% in winter and 62% in summer. Only 30% of radio-collared rabbits flushed by humans retreated to warrens. Comparable levels of diurnal surface activity in both winter and summer suggest that the death rate from fumigation or warren destruction may be similar in both seasons. High levels of diurnal surface activity suggest that warren fumigation may be ineffective unless rabbits can first be flushed to their warrens. The use of dogs to flush rabbits before fumigation or ripping should increase the efficacy of control. Activity data suggest that fumigation or ripping should be conducted between 0900 and 1600 hours in winter and 1100 and 1800 hours in summer when radio-collared rabbits were most likely to be down their warrens. Home-range data suggest that the effectiveness of poison baiting may be increased by placing bait lines closer together in summer and, although bait lines should be concentrated in dune habitat, some poison should also be placed in swale feeding areas remote from warrens. The most successful control method for radio-collared rabbits was fumigation with phosphine gas tablets, with 10 of 11 rabbits successfully killed. Pressure fumigation with chloropicrin was also successful but 1080 poisoning and warren destruction using shovels were all relatively unsuccessful.


Acknowledgments

This study was funded by Arid Recovery, a joint conservation initiative between WMC Resources, the Department for Environment SA, the University of Adelaide and the Friends of Arid Recovery. The authors thank the staff of Arid Recovery and members of the Friends of Arid Recovery who assisted with field work during the study, particularly Michelle Foate, Michelle Thums, Graeme Finlayson, Bree Galbraith, John Read, Steve White and Pete Paisley. Members of Green Corp assisted with digging up warrens. John Read and Brydie Hill provided useful comments on the manuscript. A special thanks to Ross Cunningham from the Australian National University for assistance with statistics. Ethics approval was obtained from the Wildlife Ethics Committee, permit no. 48/2001.


References

Bowen, Z. , and Read, J. (1998). Population and demographic patterns of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) at Roxby Downs in arid South Australia and the influence of rabbit haemorrhagic disease. Wildlife Research 25, 655–662.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Environment Australia (1999). Threat abatement plan for competition and land degradation by feral rabbits. Department of the Environment and Heritage (Biodiversity Group), Canberra, ACT.

Foran, B. D. , Low, W. A. , and Strong, B. W. (1985). The Response of rabbit populations and vegetation to rabbit control on a calcareous shrubby grassland in central Australia. Australian Wildlife Research 12, 237–247.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Fullagar P. J. (1981). Methods for studying the behaviour of rabbits in a 33-ha enclosure at Canberra and under natural conditions at Calindary NSW. In ‘Proceedings of the World Lagomorph Conference, Guelph Ontario 1979’. (Eds K. Myers and C. D. MacInnes.) pp. 240–254. (IUCN: Switzerland.)

Gilbert, N. , Myers, K. , Cooke, B. D. , Dunsmore, J. D. , Fullagar, P. J. , Gibb, J. A. , King, L. R. , Parer, I. , and Wood, D. H. (1987). Comparative dynamics of Australasian rabbit populations. Australian Wildlife Research 14, 491–503.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Kenward R. E., and Hodder K. H. (1996). ‘Ranges V: An Analysis System for Biological Location Data.’ (Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Furzebrook Research Station: England.)

Kolb, H. H. (1991). Use of burrows and movements by wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) on an area of sand dunes. Journal of Applied Ecology 28, 879–891.
Myers K., Parer I., and Richardson B. J. (1989). Leporidae. In ‘Fauna of Australia. Volume 1B’. (Eds D. W. Walton and B. J. Richardson.) pp. 917–931. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.)

Mykytowycz, R. , and Gambale, S. (1965). A study of the inter-warren activities and dispersal of wild rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.), living in a 45-acre paddock. Wildlife Research 10, 111–123.
SSPS Inc. (1998). ‘SYSTAT 8.0 Statistics.’ (SSPS Science Marketing Department: USA.)

Vine, A. , and Eldridge, D. (2000). Busting the bunnies: evaluating re-invasion of warrens. Range Management Newsletter 00/3, 11–12.
Williams K., Parer I., Coman B., Burley J., and Braysher M. (1995). ‘Managing Vertebrate Pests: Rabbits.’ (Bureau of Resource Sciences & CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology & Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra.)

WMC (Olympic Dam Corporation) Pty Ltd (2003). Environmental Management and Monitoring Report: Jan-Dec 2002. WMC Resources Ltd., Roxby Downs, South Australia.

Wood, D. H. (1980). The demography of a rabbit population in an arid region of New South Wales Australia. Journal of Animal Ecology 49, 55–79.