Lagomorphs in North American Zoos

birdsandbats

birdsandbats

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Here I have attempted to make a complete list of lagomorphs present in American and Canadian collections. Only information 2017 or newer was used. Domestic species are excluded. Information missing holders or species, as well as information on subspecies or populations is welcomed.

As you can see, lagomorphs aren't very popular in North American zoos. The most common species are Desert Cottontail (4 holders) and Eastern Cottontail (2 holders).

Desert Hare (1 holder)
Dallas World Aquarium

Snowshoe Hare (1 holder)
Cleveland Museum of Natural History

European Rabbit (1 holder)
Great Vancouver Zoo

Desert Cottontail (4 holders)
Buffalo Zoo
Dallas World Aquarium
El Paso Zoo
Springs Preserve

Eastern Cottontail (2 holders)
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
El Paso Zoo

Daurian Pika (1 holder)
Bronx Zoo
 
Since when does DWA have Desert Hare? I've only ever known them to keep Desert Cottontail.

Living Desert has a Black-Tailed Jackrabbit and I believe both Queens Zoo and Roger Williams Park Zoo keep New England Cottontail behind the scenes. Doesn't Oregon still have Pygmy Rabbit bts as well?

~Thylo
 
ThylacineAlive said:
Since when does DWA have Desert Hare? I've only ever known them to keep Desert Cottontail.

Living Desert has a Black-Tailed Jackrabbit and I believe both Queens Zoo and Roger Williams Park Zoo keep New England Cottontail behind the scenes. Doesn't Oregon still have Pygmy Rabbit bts as well?

~Thylo
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Desert Hare was mentioned in one of the DWA species lists threads, alongside Desert Cottontail.

Oregon's Pygmy Rabbits were Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbits, a taxon that is now extinct. The last one died bts at Oregon Zoo in 2008. Unless they also keep normal Pygmy Rabbits, there wouldn't be any at Oregon anymore.
 
birdsandbats said:
Desert Hare was mentioned in one of the DWA species lists threads, alongside Desert Cottontail.

Oregon's Pygmy Rabbits were Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbits, a taxon that is now extinct. The last one died bts at Oregon Zoo in 2008. Unless they also keep normal Pygmy Rabbits, there wouldn't be any at Oregon anymore.
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ThylacineAlive said:
Since when does DWA have Desert Hare? I've only ever known them to keep Desert Cottontail.

Living Desert has a Black-Tailed Jackrabbit and I believe both Queens Zoo and Roger Williams Park Zoo keep New England Cottontail behind the scenes. Doesn't Oregon still have Pygmy Rabbit bts as well?

~Thylo
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Just looked into it. Oregon Zoo had some impure Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbits until 2012, when the last ones they had were released into the wild.
 
birdsandbats said:
Just looked into it. Oregon Zoo had some impure Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbits until 2012, when the last ones they had were released into the wild.
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Ah ok, I was under the impression that they still had the mixed pedigree animals. Not that the Columbia Basin population is considered to have ever been a distinct taxon anymore.

~Thylo
 
There are collections in Nova Scotia with Snowshoe hare, Peace River Wildlife Center in Fl has Marsh hare.
 
ThylacineAlive said:
DWA definitely does not keep Desert Hare, they only keep Desert Cottontail.

There's a collection in Florida with Marsh Rabbit but @UngulateNerd92 would have to tell you which.

~Thylo
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That place is Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda, Charlotte County, Florida. They only had one animal during my visit. It was injured and being rehabilitated. I can post a photograph I took of this animal to the gallery, or I can send the picture in a private message if anyone is interested.
 
Great Argus said:
Salmonier Nature Park should have Snowshoe Hare.
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They certainly seem to be a likely holder. In "The Longevity of Mammals in Captivity; from the World's Living Collections" by Richard Weigl, there is reference to that collection, I want to say including for lagomorpha. If anybody is interested, I can post relevant information from that book into this thread.
 
Update:

Snowshoe Hare (5 holders)
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Salmonier Nature Park
Shubenacadie Wildlife Park
Two Rivers Wildlife Park
Yukon Wildlife Preserve

Black-Tailed Jackrabbit (1 holder)
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

European Rabbit (1 holder)
Great Vancouver Zoo

Desert Cottontail (5 holders)
Buffalo Zoo
California Living Museum
Dallas World Aquarium
El Paso Zoo
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
Springs Preserve

Marsh Rabbit (1 holder)
Peace Springs Wildlife Center

Eastern Cottontail (2 holders)
Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
El Paso Zoo

New England Cottontail (2 holders)
Queens Zoo
Rodger Williams Park Zoo

Daurian Pika (1 holder)
Bronx Zoo
 
@Giant Eland , didn't you see Riparian brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani riparius) at Sacramento Zoo back in 2014? How many did you see, did they ever breed, and do you know whatever happened to them or the last time they were kept there?
 
UngulateNerd92 said:
They certainly seem to be a likely holder. In "The Longevity of Mammals in Captivity; from the World's Living Collections" by Richard Weigl, there is reference to that collection, I want to say including for lagomorpha. If anybody is interested, I can post relevant information from that book into this thread.
Click to expand...

I said "should" since when I visited in both 2011 and 2015 they had animals on display. However, I do not know of any way to confirm holdings of the park without visiting. I have also seen wild Snowshoes on their grounds though.

UngulateNerd92 said:
@Giant Eland , didn't you see Riparian brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani riparius) at Sacramento Zoo back in 2014? How many did you see, did they ever breed, and do you know whatever happened to them or the last time they were kept there?
Click to expand...

Personally I haven't seen them at Sac, I do not believe the zoo holds the species currently nor have they had them recently. It's possible they have held the species in the past, but someone else will have to confirm that. :)
 
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