The invasion of Argentina by the European wild rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus
NEVE R B O N IN O * and RA M ÓN S O R I G U E R †
*Estación Experimental Bariloche (INTA), C.C. 277, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina, †Estación
Biológica Doñana (CSIC), Av. María Luisa s/n, 41013 Sevilla, España
ABSTRACT
1. We provide an updated distribution and dispersal rate of the introduced European rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus in Argentina.
2. According to our results this invasive species is currently colonizing parts of Mendoza
and Neuquén Provinces, where rivers are very important in the spread of the rabbits, especially in unfavourable areas. The maximun rate of dispersal registered in this study was
9 km/year.
3. Some information was obtained to indicate that the presence of this exotic species
threatens agriculture, livestock, forestry, and natural ecosystems of the Patagonia region.
Keywords: biological invasions, dispersal, exotic species, invasive species, Oryctolagus
cuniculus
INTRODUCTIO N
Invasive species are a global problem, affecting agriculture, forestry, fisheries, human health
and natural ecosystems (Mooney & Drake, 1986; Drake et al., 1989; Sandland, Schei &
Viken, 1999; Mack et al., 2000; Pimentel, 2002).
The European wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus is one of the most widely distributed
invasive species (Flux & Fullagar, 1992) and provides one of the best examples of the
disastrous consequences that can result from the introduction of an exotic species (Thompson
& King, 1994; Williams et al., 1995; Bomford & Hart, 2002; Clout, 2002).
A species native to south-western Europe, the European rabbit has been introduced into
different regions of the world including Asia, Australia, New Zealand and North and South
America (Flux, 1994). On this last continent, rabbits were introduced into several regions of
Chile, from which they invaded the south-western part of Argentina (Howard & Amaya,
1975; Zunino, 1989). In Argentina, the rabbits are now present in three regions (Fig. 1).
1. Tierra del Fuego – Falkland (Malvinas) Islands
According to Jaksic & Yáñez (1983), the first introduction to Tierra del Fuego was made in
about 1880 onto a number of islands in the Beagle Channel. The original stock came from the
Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, onto which rabbits had been introduced by the French prior to
1765. Some of these Channel island rabbits were set free in about 1936 on the Chilean side of
Tierra del Fuego. In around 1950 more rabbits were released on the Argentinian side of this
Correspondence: N. A. Bonino. E-mail: nbonino@bariloche.inta.gov.ar
Fig. 1. Current distribution of the European wild rabbit in South America. The dark grey area marks the
range in Chile; the light grey area the range in Argentina. 1 = Tierra del Fuego and Falkland (Malvinas)
Islands, 2 = Santa Cruz Province, 3 = Mendoza and Neuquén Provinces.
island (Arentsen, 1954). Within a few years these introductions proved disastrous: rabbits
quickly became a pest, riddling the ground with holes and leaving it bare of grass. The sheep
ranchers attempted to control the rabbits first by hunting and trapping, then by introducing
the mainland fox Pseudalopex griseus, which did not naturally occur on Tierra del Fuego.
Later they brought myxoma virus from Brazil, and this virus succeeded in bringing rabbits to
very low population levels (Jaksic & Yáñez, 1983).
2. Santa Cruz Province
In 1985 rabbits were detected at the south-western edge of this province (Clarke & Amaya,
1986). Presumably they had come from nearby Puerto Natales (Chile), where several animals
(apparently originating from Tierra del Fuego) were released in 1970 (A. Iriarte Walton,
personal communication). These rabbits have apparently not dispersed widely, as their
current distribution is still restricted to the south-western part of this province.
3. Mendoza and Neuquén Provinces
In 1945 rabbits were first reported in these provinces. They originated from animals that
crossed through low passes in the Andean Cordillera from adjacent parts of central Chile.
These central Chilean rabbits are of Spanish origin and had been introduced at the beginning
of the 19th century (Greer, 1965; Howard & Amaya, 1975). Within these two provinces, the
rabbit is currently dispersing and invading new areas (Bonino & Gader, 1987; Bonino &
Soriguer, 2004).
A fundamental approach to understanding and managing invasive species is to determine
their geographical distribution. The current distribution of the European rabbit in Mendoza
and Neuquén Provinces and their dispersal rate are reported here.
MATE RI AL S AND MET HOD S
The distribution of the European rabbit in Mendoza Province was described by Bonino &
Soriguer (2004). In Neuquén Province we performed field sampling on the basis of the map
of rabbit distribution in 1986 (Bonino & Gader, 1987). For the present surveys, undertaken
between November 2006 and April 2008, the rural inhabitants of the perimeter of the mapped
distribution area were visited. We asked them about the presence or absence of rabbits in the
surrounding area. At the same time we directly surveyed the land, searching for sightings or
signs of individuals such as faeces, burrows and skeletons. All the information was georeferenced by using a GPS unit. Afterward, this information was entered into a digitalized map
in order to determine the current geographical distribution and the dispersal rate of this
invasive species.
R E S UL T S A ND D IS C U SSI O N
In the eastern sector of the distributional area in Neuquén Province, we observed the dispersal of this species mainly along the banks of rivers that flow through the region, generally
from east to west (Fig. 2). According to Bonino & Gader (1987) the front of the advance
along the Colorado River had progressed to about 20 km east of Rincón de los Sauces. In this
study, Rincón Colorado (37°33′45″S, 68°23″32″W) was the easternmost site where rabbits
were observed along the margins of this river (Fig. 2). According to information from the
local inhabitants, this exotic species causes damage, mainly in orchards and crops of alfalfa.
Along the margins of the Neuquén River, rabbits were found at Sauzal Bonito (Bonino &
Gader, 1987) and also near the bridge at Dique Portezuelo (38°26′22″S, 68°57′19″W). Previously, rabbits had been located on the Picún Leufú River near the town of the same name
(Bonino & Gader, 1987), but in this study we observed that they had advanced up to where
this river flows into the Limay River and have begun to disperse both upstream and downstream of this latter river. Also, rabbits were observed in Ojo de Agua (39°38′20″S,
Fig. 2. Dispersal of the European wild rabbit in the Mendoza and Neuquén Provinces, Argentina. The dark
grey area shows the distribution in 1986; the light grey area represents dispersal during the 1986–2008 period.
69°29′19″W) and along the margins of the China Muerta stream, another affluent of the
Limay River (Fig. 2). In each case the dispersal rate was less than 5 km/year.
In the southern part of the distributional area (Fig. 2), the limit was at the Estancia Pulmarí
(39°06′41″S, 71°06′32″W) according to Bonino & Gader (1987). However, in this study rabbits
were detected about 175 km further south, in the surroundings of the Meliquina Lake
(40°22′39″S, 71°18′89″W). Also, at a site (40°21′36″S, 70°39′22″W) located on the left margin
of the Collon Curá River, a few kilometers before its entry into the Limay River, faeces and
burrows of rabbits were observed. These records indicate a dispersal rate that varied between
6 and 9 km/year.
Figure 2 shows the importance of rivers in the spread of this invasive species, especially in
unfavourable areas. The western part of the distributional area consists of Andean forests
and subandean grasslands. The eastern sector supports scrub formation (Monte Botanical
Province) in a semi-desert environment with annual rainfall under 200 mm, where soils are
stoney or gravely (Soriano, 1983). The most irregular distributional pattern is found in this
arid region where the rabbits live in places bordering the rivers and small streams, as also
happens in the arid habitats of Australia (Myers & Parker, 1975a,b; Myers et al., 1994).
As was noted by Bonino & Soriguer (2004) in Mendoza Province, the rabbit is also
currently undergoing a process of dispersal in Neuquén Province. The environments already
colonized in the western part of this province are being occupied, with a little variation,
towards the south of the region as far as Santa Cruz Province. Therefore, we predict that in
the future this exotic species will invade the whole Patagonian region.
Considering that the areas occupied by the rabbit in Neuquén Province are very important
for the provincial economy, the situation may worsen since, according to inhabitants of the
region, the rabbit competes with cattle for food and causes considerable damage to alfalfa
crops, orchards and coniferous forest plantations. The establishment of the rabbit in some
protected areas (Lanín and Laguna Blanca National Parks) and its potential invasion into
others (Nahuel Huapi National Park) poses a threat for the wild fauna of these areas. The
presence of this exotic herbivore, with its semi-fossorial habit and high reproductive rate
(Myers & Calaby, 1977), could harm some of the native species directly, through competition
for food and/or shelter, or indirectly, by favouring increases in the populations of native
carnivores (Novaro, Funes & Walker, 2000; Novaro & Walker, 2005).
In Australia and New Zealand, the rabbit is considered an important threat to the integrity
of the ecosystems of arid zones (Bomford & Hart, 2002; Clout, 2002), and there are numerous
examples of the negative impact of this species on the native flora and fauna (Dawson & Ellis,
1979; Leigh et al., 1987, 1989; Lunney & Leary, 1988; Burbidge & MacKenzie, 1989; Auld,
1990; Morton, 1990; Mutze et al., 2008).
The maximum rate of dispersal registered in this study was 9 km/year, similar to the
10 km/year reported by Bonino & Gader (1987). The values cited for other countries where
the rabbit was introduced are highly variable: in Australia, dispersal varied between 15 km/
year in denser woodlands of the eastern and southern regions and 300 km/year along the
drainage channels in the Simpson Desert (Strong, 1983; Myers et al., 1994); and in New
Zealand, rabbits spread at a rate of 16 km/year (Gibb & Williams, 1994).
The available literature on dispersal rates of introduced mammals in different parts of the
world, although not abundant, is also variable: Sciurus carolinensis achieved a rate of 7.7 km/
year in south-western England (Williamson & Brown, 1986); Ondatra zibethicus had variable
rates between 1 and 25 km/year, depending on the region, in Europe (Andow et al., 1990; Van
de Bosch, Hengeveld & Metz, 1992) and between 3.9 and 10.8 km/year in Chile and Argentina (Jaksic et al., 2002); Sigmodon hispidus had an average rate of 8.8 km/year in the USA
(Genoway & Schlitter, 1967); Castor canadensis dispersed from 3.1 to 6.3 km/year in Chile
and Argentina (Jaksic et al., 2002); and Cervus canadensis and Rupicapra rupicapra dispersed
from 0.6 to 8.7 km/year, respectively, in New Zealand (Caughley, 1963). A close relative to
the European rabbit, the European hare Lepus europaeus, has dispersed into South America
from 10 to 44 km/year, depending on the specific regions invaded (Cossios, 2004; Bonino,
Cossios & Menegheti, 2008).
The role of human intervention in the process of rabbit dispersal is not well understood,
although it could favour such a process. For example, it is known that sometimes animals are
liberated (intentionally or not) from domestic (breeding) colonies and this action could
facilitate further invasion of this exotic species. Some populations of a still strictly local
character that are found in several Argentine provinces (Chubut, San Juan and Río Negro)
result from liberation of rabbits by humans.
CON CLUSIONS
We document a notable increase in the European wild rabbit distribution area in the
Patagonia region of Argentina. Therefore, regular and careful monitoring is necessary for the
early detection and management of newly established populations. European rabbits are
potentially a significant threat to agriculture, livestock, forestry and natural ecosystems.
Thus, the continued study of this invasive species in Argentina is warranted. The development of a predictive model of the potential distribution and the ecological impacts of rabbits
would be invaluable. At present there is no information regarding the ecological impact of the
European rabbit in natural ecosystems, and scant information on other aspects of its biology
and ecology, in Argentina (Bonino, 2006).
ACKNOWL ED GE ME NT S
We thank R.D. Sage and B.B. Cooke for constructive comments on an earlier draft and two
anonymous reviewers who provided helpful suggestions. Fieldwork was funded by the
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET PIP 937) and the
Programa de Cooperación Científica con Iberoamérica (AECI).
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Submitted 17 March 2009; returned for revision 30 March 2009; revision accepted 28 May 2009
Editor: KH