5. Rabbit Management 
Vol. 6, No. 1 
Page 3 
William R. Edwards 
Rabbits collected through mid-January evidenced normal weights and large deposits 
of body fat. Gonadal recrudescence was apparent in both sexes, but there was no in¬ 
dication of ovulation in any of the females examined. 
Ages of juvenile cottontails collected in December and January were estimated by 
use of the aging equation (January Monthly Wildlife Research Letter). Dates of birth 
were computed and graphed to provide better representation of the seasonal distribu¬ 
tion of rabbit production. Although the data were not treated statistically (pend¬ 
ing completion of processing late-collected rabbits in January), preliminary examin¬ 
ation of the graph does not reveal evidence of a seasonal peak of cottontail produc¬ 
tion. There : s an apparent sustained level of production from March through July, 
fewer rabbits born in August, and very few produced later than early September. 
The age distribution of cottontails in the sample from the Allerton Sanctuary re¬ 
vealed proportionately fewer young from summer litters than did the samples obtained 
on private lands near both Sibley and Neoga. The age composition of the Allerton 
sample was typical of many perennially low-density rabbit populations which have low 
juvenile to adult ratios and few young from late litters. During the coming summer, 
data on litter size and frequency will be obtained and compared to determine if the 
age structure of the Allerton rabbit population reflects a low reproduction rate, a 
high mortality of juveniles, or some combination of these two situations. 
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