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.
Keywords
Eastern cottontail
Foraging
Landscape
Predation
Sylvilagus floridanus
Urban ecology
