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Cottontail rabbit, Sylvilagus floridanus, utilization of 16 artificial burrows was studied during the winters of 1976-1977 and 1977-1978. The burrows were located in Delaware County, Indiana, in four vegetative cover types including ungrazed deciduous forest, fescue grassland, wildlife plantings, and multiflora rose hedgerow. Each burrow consisted of a lay-up chamber made from the upper portion of a 55-gallon steel drum set on top of the ground. Two entrances made of slotted plastic drainage pipe extended in opposite directions. Soil was filled around the burrows and over the entrance tunnels. Cottontails found in the burrows were captured, marked by ear tagging, sexed, weighed, measured and released.Burrow utilization was noted in each cover type with greatest usage occurring in the multiflora rose hedgerow and in the forest. Snow cover and low ambient air temperature seemed to be the two most important factors contributing to burrow usage.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

I examined the relationships of quail and rabbits to agricultural land uses in the Virginia Piedmont during 1986-1987. Bobwhites and cottontails were censused and the associated habitat components quantified at 2 scales: macro-scale at 121 road transect stations, and a micro-scale at 87-foot transect stations. Additionally, the quail's immediate habitat was measured using variables found in the HSI model for northern bobwhite. The paucity of rabbit sightings prevented an analysis of habitat relationships for this species. Relative quail densities decreased from 1986 to 1987 along both road and foot transects (P < 0.05). A model (R² = 0.374) relating relative density of quail at stations to adjacent habitat found positive (P < 0.10) relationships for crop/crop, road/pasture, road/fallow, and "other" edges and negative (P < 0.10) relationships for road/tall grass yard edge and 3 variables describing dense overstory canopies. The presence/absence of quail at foot transect stations was related to habitat characteristics using logistic regression. Wooded fallow fields, the length (m) of pasture/fallow and forest/forest edges, and the total number of all edges present were positively related to quail presence (P < 0.001). Analysis of quail-centered plots indicated quail preferred areas with more woody cover, less grass composing the herbaceous canopy, more bare ground or light litter ( < 2 cm deep), and more honeysuckle canopy than was randomly available (P < 0.05). Management recommendations are to emphasize maximizing the number of different edges present, especially the combinations highlighted by this analysis. Efforts should be made to maximize the number of fallow fields in early successional stages. Cultivation of field borders and corners, waterways, and other idle areas should be discouraged. / Master of Science