A pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) survey

Wildlife biologists have become increasingly concerned about the pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) population found in the western United States.Therefore, a formal survey of BLM land was conducted from 9 September through 18 November, 2002 to determine the status of pygmy rabbits within the Burley Field Office Area, Idaho.We conducted surveys within 11 grazing allotments and walked approximately 170 total miles.We found a total of 35 burrows and revisited 24 burrows with the peeper probe.Of these 24 burrows we classified 6 burrow systems as occupied by pygmy rabbits on two grazing allotments and classified 16 pygmy rabbit burrows as inactive on two other grazing allotments.Pygmy rabbit habitat has not been evaluated in south-central Idaho.Sagebrush canopy cover of occupied burrows averaged 34.75%.Sagebrush height averaged 94.68 cm around the occupied burrows.Thirty-one historical locations were visited, 18 of these were vague locations and could not be properly located, 8 of these were disturbed due to agricultural development, urban development, and wildfire and reseeding efforts, and 5 of these were potentially suitable pygmy rabbit habitat.