
%0 Journal Article
%A Moriarty, Andrew 
%A Saunders, Glen 
%A Richardson, Barry J. 
%T Mortality factors acting on adult rabbits in central-western New South Wales
%J Wildlife Research
%D 2000/12/01
%V 27
%N 6
%P 613-619
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/WR99084
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/WR99084 
%X Mortality of radio-tagged adult rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) (n = 274) was monitored for one year in central-western New South Wales. The overall mortality rate was 82%. Predation was the most important and consistent cause of adult rabbit mortality, accounting for 44% of the total number of rabbits, followed by Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD) (16%), myxomatosis (9%), unknown causes (9%), and enteritis/peritonitis (2%). Foxes were the most important predators, accounting for 28% of radio-tagged rabbits. Medium to large birds of prey were less important, accounting for 10%, followed by cats, which were responsible for 6% of the deaths of radio-collared rabbits. Myxomatosis outbreaks occurred in February/March and November&#8211;January. An RHD outbreak occurred during July, with 40% of the adult rabbit population being killed. The number of male and female radio-collared adult rabbits killed by each mortality agent throughout the year was similar. The proportions of warren-dwelling rabbits and surface-dwelling, solitary rabbits killed were similar overall; however, a significantly higher number of warren-dwelling rabbits were killed by myxomatosis and a significantly higher number of surface-dwelling rabbits were killed by RHD. 
