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Elevation and wind exposure shape the habitat preferences of the Andean cottontail Sylvilagus andinus (Lagomorpha: Leporidae)

Abstract:

Regional and local environmental conditions shape the habitat preferences of species. In tropical highlands, the regional effects of elevation and local effects of topography combine to shape environmental conditions and create drastically heterogeneous habitats. This is thought to strongly influence the habitat preferences of species in the region at a local level; however, evidence of this hypothesis remains scarce. We studied the habitat preferences of the Andean cottontail Sylvilagus andinus (Lagomorpha: Leporidae) in relation to elevation and wind exposure mediated by local topography. We used the presence/absence of the species’ pellets to assess their habitat preference on hillsides protected from versus exposed to high winds between elevations of 3550 and 4150 m a.s.l. Pellets of S. andinus were primarily found at elevations lower than 4000 m and where exposure to wind was reduced. At any given elevation cottontails appear to prefer wind-protected sites over those with greater exposure to high winds. Our results provide useful information for the conservation management of S. andinus and the Andean highland fauna in general.