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Long-term study of litter size in relation to population density in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Lincolnshire, England

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2001

R. C. Trout  and
G. C. Smith
R. C. Trout
Affiliation:
Holtside, Batts Corner, Dockenfield, Farnham, Surrey GU10 4EX, U.K.
G. C. Smith
Affiliation:
Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, U.K.
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Abstract

After the introduction of myxomatosis to the U.K. in 1953, the rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus population crashed to less than 1% of its original size (Lloyd, 1970). Since that time the population has been slowly recovering, and reached about 20% of pre-myxomatosis levels by 1980 (Lloyd, 1981; Trout, Tapper & Harradine, 1986). Between 1980 and 1986 an index of rabbit abundance was produced from field surveys, which resulted in an estimated population growth rate of just under 1% per year but there has been no objective assessment of the changes nationally since 1986.

Keywords

Oryctolagus cuniculuspopulation density
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Zoology , Volume 246 , Issue 3 , November 1998 , pp. 347 - 350
Copyright
1998 The Zoological Society of London

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