We were just discussing this very issue in comments not three weeks ago, and don't I see a brief blurb in the Patriot Ledger about the endangered Hugh Hefner Big Pine Key bunny.
BIG PINE KEY, Fla. -- Hugh Hefner may seem like he will live forever, but the Florida Keys rabbits named after him may not.
The population of rabbits on Big Pine Key has dwindled by about 50 percent in the past two years and is in danger of being wiped out. The Latin name for the rabbit is Sylvilagus palustris hefneri. That's a reference to Hefner, the Playboy magazine founder who financed research that identified the species in 1980.
The medium-sized, dark brown cottontail with a grayish-white belly was put on the federal endangered species list in 1990 when the population in the Florida Keys was estimated at 200...
As if the bunny news wasn't bad enough, the BoSox are not doing too well against Anhaga's Yankees tonight. I'm going to watch the season finale of Heroes.
Yeah, the cat hunt down has begun!
ReplyDeleteSo, you got me going all over again!! LOL ...
Arguably,
Native predators (eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, American alligator and raptors) numbers have risen. The Silver Rice Rat and Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit share the same habitat. Hardwood encroachment by buttonwood trees aren't good for the LKMR's but are good for the SRR's. Since SRR's are ready to be taken off the endangered list, it stands to reason that they have won in the fight for food and territory over the iguana's and LKMR's. We have finally controlled the iguana population, which encroach on food they forage for. The alligator and crocodile numbers have risen and love eating little rabbits. We are in a bird sanctuary and they love swooping down and grabbing one out of a field. The numbers go up and down. Yeah, a few cats get in the mix.
Snakes may pose high risk as invasive species. Boas, and pythons and I mean very LARGE ones have been found on Sugarloaf and hello??? They love shore birds and rabbits. Little Johnny's snake got loose and Sam's snake got to big so he released it (why pay for rats when they are all over outside the kid figures, and Mom starts pulling her hair out over why she got the dang snake in the first place! Idiot). There aren't feral cats on Sugarloaf are they?? Wonder why. They have tried to capture some of these killer snakes but I am sure many more are still happy out there in the mangroves. They caught one recently due to it having a radio monitor rat inside it.
If the scientists would do local research prior to their grant studies, they may find the studies are more complex then they narrow their hypothesis to. And, if idiots would stop releasing nonnative animals, risk-assessment models may be more accurate.
With all the beautiful wildlife here in the Keys, I'm also an idiot for having one dog, two turtles and two cats, and YES, unknown freed iguana's!!! Heck, I could just watch the birds, bees, butterflies, land crabs, gecko's, lizards, ants, fish and the like happily. The smart folks don't have pets in areas of critical concern, bravo for them!
Please know I exclude those who keep their pets inside and managed well, I'm not a pet hater!!
Trying to find a delicate balance is NOT easy. The cats will find homes or be put to sleep and the public will learn a lesson in a very public way.
This rabbit thing is a hot topic in the news. Hey Wabbit, what do you think about the President Jimmy Carter and the "killer rabbit" story?
ReplyDeleteYou keep up on our local Keys Blog and I wonder what your thoughts about that swamp rabbit are! Pretty funny story.
One of Pres. Carters last acts as president was to make Looe Key a marine sanctuary along with a few others. Our rabbit was identified that same year, Jimmy put the environment in the spot light, much to his credit. Some might argue that Hef took advantage of a sympathetic administration, although I haven't heard any ranting about that yet. I'm sure the original Indians down here brought them to raise for food or some other reasonable explanation.
They should check out these feral cats,,, maybe they after many years are a new subspecies! Where the heck is Julie Newmar when you need her? LOL