6. Rabbit Management 
Vol . 9, No. 9 
Page 8 
J. A. Bailey, J. C. Hanson 
Activity of radio-tagged cottontail rabbits was monitored from 4 PM until 
midnight (CST) on 6 nights in January and 2 nights in February, 1966. Each of 
the seven rabbits involved were radio-tracked for all or part of 1 to 8 nights. 
In all, 31 rabbit-nights of data were collected. 
During tracking, bearings toward each radio-tagged rabbit were taken 
simultaneously from two receivers every 15 minutes. These sets of bearings were 
used to plot rabbit-1ocations on a map of the study area. Activity of the animals 
was measured by the distances between all pairs of successive radio-indicated 
locations obtained about 15 minutes apart. 
Activity records were summarized by hourly periods and classified according 
to the occurrence of snow on the ground during the tracking periods (Table 6). 
The presence of snow on the ground had a striking effect upon the activity of the 
seven rabbits; they were less active when there was a trace of snow on the ground 
and especially inactive when the snow was 4 inches deep. The occurrence of a 
freezing rain on January 12, when the Urbana weather station recorded 0.23 inch 
of precipitation, produced no detectable change in the rabbits' pattern of activity. 
Table 6. Activity of radio-tagged cottontail rabbits during periods with and 
without snow on the ground. University of Illinois Farms, 1966. 
Cent ral 
Standard 
Time 
No Snow 
Jan. 10 
on Ground 
,12; Feb. 10 
Trace of Snow on Ground 
Jan. 11, 25, 26, 27 
Fou r 1 
on 
nches of Snow 
Ground, Feb. 1 
Samp 1e 
Size* 
Average 
Di stance 
Moved 
(feet) 
Samp 1e 
Size* 
Average 
Distance 
Moved . 
(feet) 
Samp 1 e 
S i z e* 
Average 
Distance 
Moved 
(feet) 
1600-1700 
2 
67 
10 
60 
1 
28 
1700-1800 
2 
59 
17 
140 
2 
28 
1800-1900 
7 
164 
17 
60 
2 
48 
1900-2000 
11 
118 
16 
46 
2 
20 
2000-2100 
12 
84 
16 
52 
2 
17 
2100-2200 
11 
90 
16 
74 
2 
22 
2200-2300 
12 
148 
16 
98 
2 
18 
2300-2400 
9 
87 
16 
72 
2 
22 
Total 
66 
124 
»5 
Weighted 
Average 
110 
77 
25 
* Sample Size: Each 
unit equals the 
average of 
from one to four 15 -minute movements 
for one rabbit. The 
same individual 
was often 
radio-tracked 
duri ng 
several nights. 
t Average distance moved equals the mean of distances between successive radio 
locations taken at approximately 15 -minute intervals. 
