Use of latrine surveys to identify the expansion and fragmentation of swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) distribution at the eastern edge of their range.

Swamp rabbits (Sylvilagus aquaticus) are a species of conservation concern in several states. We conducted latrine surveys at previously surveyed and new sites from 2021 to 2023 to clarify the species' current status and distribution at its eastern extent, including the first surveys in South Carolina in > 25 years. We analyzed occupancy to determine what environmental variables affected swamp rabbit occurrence. Detection and occupancy probability from our top model were 0.75 (0.69–0.81 85 % CI) and 0.32 (0.30–0.35 85 % CI), respectively. Occupancy decreased with distance to emergent herbaceous or woody wetlands and increased with reduced tree canopy cover. Our results corroborate previous findings that semi-permanent or permanent wetlands are important to swamp rabbits and that they may be more likely to occupy habitats in proximity to open areas with herbaceous vegetation. Our study demonstrated that swamp rabbits persist within northwestern South Carolina, but no detections at 17 % (n = 5) of previously known sites, detections at 15 new sites, and observations of the species outside their purported range highlight the opportunity for further studies to assess connectivity of populations in the face of rapid land use change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]