New Invasive Rabbit Species Showing Up in More Parts of Maine

An invasive species of rabbit has been quietly spreading across parts of Maine, and wildlife experts say it could threaten one of the state’s native animals.

The Eastern Cottontail rabbit, first spotted in Kittery in 2017, has slowly expanded its presence across southern Maine. Wildlife officials now say the non-native species is becoming more common, particularly in more developed areas, WGME reported.

Biologists with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife say early efforts to remove the rabbits were unsuccessful.

“When we first found them in Kittery and in Portland, we did a trap and removal effort, but they do seem fairly difficult to trap,” said Cory Stearns, a small mammal biologist with Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. “We missed some, we couldn’t get them all, and they very quickly repopulated.”

According to the news station, originally, Eastern Cottontails were mostly found east of the Hudson River in New York, but experts say the species has been gradually moving north and spreading into Maine.

“They’ve been on the Eastern Prom, Munjoy Hill area for quite a while,” Stearns said. “The last year or two, we started getting reports west of I-295, so they’ve really started to spread.”

The biggest concern is what this means for Maine’s native New England Cottontail rabbit, which already has a smaller and more limited population. Wildlife officials have been working to grow that native population, but the invasive species could make those efforts more difficult, WGME said.

The two species behave differently, which helps the Eastern Cottontail thrive in populated areas. The native New England Cottontail tends to stay hidden in thick brush and only ventures out at dawn or dusk. The Eastern Cottontail, however, is much more comfortable out in the open and often lives in developed areas like neighborhoods and parks.

That also means homeowners may notice them more often — especially in gardens.

Stearns says the two species can be difficult to tell apart, but there is one key difference. Eastern Cottontails sometimes have a small white spot on their forehead, something the New England Cottontail never has, WGME explained.

If you believe you’ve spotted one, wildlife officials encourage Mainers to report it through the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website to help track the spread of the invasive species.