The Eastern cottontail is very good at surviving, but its lifespan is short, 3 years at a maximum, so this helps in keeping population in control. There are several species of cottontail rabbit, but the eastern cottontail is the most common. You either push through the gnarly stuff until bunnies bust out and roll them with a load of 7.5 shot, or slip along a brushy fenceline with a scoped .22 and plink them as they hang tight and try to blend in.. Cottontail rabbits are hunted by many predators, so they only live two to three years in the wild. Oat straw and alfalfa hay are used in the nest as additional food sour… Cottontail rabbits eat a wide variety of plant foods including grasses, sedges, sprouts, leaves, fruits, buds, and bark. It is especially abundant in habitats that contain edges of open, grassy fields and thorny or shrubby cover. Behavior and Feeding. This stretched-out length allows them to better hear predators that may be approaching. Generally silent, rabbits may communicate by soft grunts and purrs and by thumping the ground with the hind feet. Eastern Cottontail 7. Behavior. To try and stay alive, cottontail rabbits learn early on how to hide and burrow effectively -- under bushes, in tunnels or any cavities. THE COTTONTAIL AND THE SWAMP RABBIT A>arsden and Holler 7 Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife ), Bill T. Crawford, Kenneth C. Sadler, Clif- Both male and female perform dance. Their mating behavior is interesting. When fleeing from a predator, cottontail rabbits use a zigzag running pattern and can reach speeds of up to 18 miles an hour. PART OF WILD SKY MEDIA | FAMILY & PARENTING, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection: Cottontail Rabbits, How to Make the Ultimate Obstacle Course for Rabbits. Although sometimes considered a pest by farmers, they are quite adaptable and will move on to live in a more suitable area if no food is available where they are. In the vegetable garden, their favorites include lettuce, beans, and beets, and they also enjoy strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. These grassy, leafy spaces are excellent for the cottontail's diet, which consists mainly of grass and herbs. It was a rabbit that hopped and was very similar to those of today, but with smaller ears and a longer tail. Our guy here, the eastern cottontail, is more likely … The eastern cottontails is solitary and very territorial. Cottontails are solitary creatures, active mostly between dusk and dawn. March Rabbit 3. For Rabbit Rescuers and Shelters (43) For the Kids (5) Gifts and Supplies (13) House Rabbit Journal (270) House Rabbits 101 (21) Just for Fun (21) Life with a House Rabbit (46) Links (13) News (183) Pet Loss Support (12) Rabbit Behavior (94) Aggression and Age-Related Behavior (11) Litter Training (1) Multiple Rabbits (33) Rabbit Personality (34) While a rabbit such as the Eastern cottontail still sleeps during the day, foraging at dawn and dusk, he's more active at night in the summer, when food is more readily available. Shape The World. Blue Eastern Cottontail Pee next to Rabbit Scat: 4. She lines the depression with grass and fur from her body, then adds a covering of twigs and leaves. It may use the dens of groundhogsas a temporary home or during heavy … Tammy Dray has been writing since 1996. There are at least 16 sub-species that fall under the main cottontail species. Mothers dig a nursery burrowto contain a nest before they give birth. The eastern cottontail has four pairs of mammary glands. Which of the Five Senses Do Rabbits Depend on the Most? captive male cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus ). The desert cottontail can also swim and runs at speeds of up to fifteen miles an hour. Subscribe to our e-news for the latest events, updates and info. Cottontail rabbit kids arrive approximately 28 days after the parents mate. Dray is pursuing a criminal justice degree at Penn Foster College. Mexican Cottontail 6. Forests, swamps, thickets, bushes, or open areas where shelter is close by are optimal habitation sites for this species. Swamp Rabbit 2. Cottontail rabbits are tiny little things, ranging in size from 15.5 to 18.75 inches, and weighing as little as 28 ounces -- although boys can weigh as much as 54 ounces. Generally silent, rabbits may communicate by soft grunts and purrs and by thumping the ground with the hind feet. Fast on their feet Rabbits also leave pea-sized, light-brown droppings scattered around the area. She might seek a site with brushy cover, but it’s not unusual to find a nest in the middle of a suburban lawn. The sleeping patterns of wild rabbits differs somewhat from their domestic cousins, especially in the summer months. Since both cottontails and people exist in large numbers and are nearly ubiquitous, they interact frequently, particularly when rabbit populations peak in late summer and early fall. The winter diet includes small grains, as well as twigs, bark, and buds of shrubs and trees. This rabbit undergoes two molts per year. Sexually promiscuous and forming no lasting pair bond, Massachusetts cottontails may mate as early as mid-February and as late as September. Coprophagy, or the ingestion of feces, plays a role in rabbit nutrition. Many rabbits, cottontails included, are quite social, but this is not true of all species. Eastern cottontails do not hibernate, but are active year-round. To get away from a predator, a cottontail rabbit will run in a zigzag pattern and reach speeds of up to 18 mph (29 km/h), according to National Geographic. From mid-September to the end of October, the change to longer, grayer pelage occurs for winter. August 27, 2020. They are most active at night, dusk and dawn, the same time many of the marsh rabbit's predators — owls, foxes, bobcats and alligators — are active as well. Desert Cottontail. This is true regardless of the color of the rabbit, which can vary from gray to reddish brown, according to National Geographic. This re-digestion of food may be important for the survival of an herbivore that often interrupts its feeding to flee a predator. Their ears can grow to 4 inches (10 cm). The rabbit swallows these without chewing them. Another interesting fact is that cottontail rabbits tend to have a quite small home range. As with the vast majority of animals, behavior varies from species to species. The gestation period occurs for less than 30 days. Learn More about what you can do if you have rabbits in your garden or nests in your yard. The tail is short, fluffy, 30-70 mm (1.2-2.8 in) in length, brown above and white below. In the United States, cottontail rabbits reside all over the country, both in colder and warmer climates. Add Comment. Some species are quite territorial, or the groups defend their territories together. Rabbits can be very crafty and quick. Description The cottontail rabbit is a medium-sized rabbit that has long ears, large hind legs, shorter front legs, a brief fluffy tail and soft fur. The mother cottontail bunny leaves them so she can forage but remains nearby to watch for predators. Due to their size and inability to defend themselves, many young rabbits are taken by prey when they are mere months old. Desert Cottontail 5. Cottontail rabbits are tiny little things, ranging in size from 15.5 to 18.75 inches, and weighing as little as 28 ounces -- although boys can weigh as much as 54 ounces. Except for the rust colored nape, the upper parts of the body and chest are pinkish or reddish to grayish brown sprinkled with black. Mountain Cottontail 8. Teeth grinding: The sound of a rabbit grinding its teeth is nearly unmistakable. Be Her Village. They are super speedy and almost impossible to catch without a trap. Foxes, weasels, raccoons, minks, snakes, crows, and several common species of hawks and owls, are all at least partially dependent on cottontails for food. Many species also live in underground tunnels to hide from predators. Differences Between Cottontail Rabbits and Snowshoe Hares. The eastern cottontail can leap distances of between 10 and 15 feet. Its feeding behavior is somewhat different from other cottontails; it has a unique capability of jumping up on the trees to have its diet. Mountain Cottontail rabbit feeding behavior. When the rabbit defecates, some of its fecal pellets are green and moist and contain undigested food. When chased, it runs in a zigzag pattern, running up to 18 mph (29 km/h). ... A cottontail generally will hop from place to place, but it can put on a burst of speed and dodge quickly when fleeing a predator. Make sure the animal you suspect is inflicting damage is indeed a rabbit: Rabbits have upper incisors, so plants they have browsed can be identified by their smooth, clean-angled, neatly clipped appearance, while plants browsed by deer appear ragged and torn. Cottontail rabbits are called that because the underside of their tails -- which curls up against the lower back -- is white, just like a small piece of cotton. The Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus auduboni) is the most abundant and well known of the desert mammals. The eastern cottontail rabbit is one of the most common mammals of both the natural and the human generated ecosystems of North America. It also has distinctive large eyes for its size. Its similar relative, the jackrabbit, is a hare, not a rabbit. Sometimes it will rest in the burrow of another animal. To escape from enemies or to seek shelter from inclement weather, cottontails use any convenient natural or human-made cavity, such as a culvert, a dense thicket, or an existing burrow excavated by a woodchuck, fox, or skunk. One doe may produce three litters in a New England season. They have a very high reproductive rate (1 to 5 in a litter 26-30 days after mating), a necessity as they are prey for a wide variety of carnivores. Tres Marias Cottontail Out of these the Swamp Rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) is the largest and the B… It’s so un… According to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, most rabbits live in an area that's about 9 acres in size. The average lifespan of a cottontail rabbit is two years if it can reach the age of adulthood. While rabbits generally steer clear of people, they can damage gardens. They communicate with each other by thumping with their back feet against the ground. For Rabbit Rescuers and Shelters (43) For the Kids (5) Gifts and Supplies (13) House Rabbit Journal (270) House Rabbits 101 (21) Just for Fun (21) Life with a House Rabbit (46) Links (13) News (183) Pet Loss Support (12) Rabbit Behavior (94) Aggression and Age-Related Behavior (11) Litter Training (1) Multiple Rabbits (33) Rabbit Personality (34) The desert cottontail does not build its own den, although it may scratch a depression under a bush or other vegetation. The New England cottontail has a darker back, a broad black stripe on the outer edge of the ear, and usually a black spot between the ears. It is hard to confuse it with purring even though it is made the same way. Cottontail rabbits are almost completely mute animals. INTRODUCTION Social behavior of several species of rabbits has been studied The average Massachusetts cottontail spends its entire life in an area of less than an acre and a half, although in the winter it may move a mile or so from its summer feeding area in order to obtain better cover or a new food supply. Both species breed in a variety of human-populous habitats, including farmland, suburban yards, and even in isolated, weedy patches in the city. The latter was introduced into the state before 1900 and is now the most common rabbit in Massachusetts. Breeding occurs year-round but peaks December through June. Mutual grooming is definitely part of rabbit behavior that indicates a bond, regardless of whether the rabbits are neutered/spayed. Donations to Mass Audubon are tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law. Empower Her. If appearance alone doesn’t clear up any doubt, behavior will seal the deal. The native wild New England cottontail, probably as a consequence of this competition, has become rare throughout the region. Temperament/Behavior. Massachusetts is home to two species of rabbit, the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) and the eastern cottontail (S. floridanus). Litters average five young (rarely as many as eight), and the female is usually receptive to mating soon after giving birth. Rabbits prefer to eat tender young shoots—clover, dandelions, prized tulips—and they may also damage ornamental trees by eating the bark. Cottontail rabbits spend the majority of their life trying to hide from swooping predators. Male rabbit thus chases the female. The oldest complete rabbit fossil, found in 2008 in India, dates back 53 million years to the Eocene Epoch. Eastern Cottontail Reproduction. In Iowa, we have only one rabbit species, the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus). Nests are built at night, in brush … 1. “If a person does manage to catch one, they will often fight, twist, and kick repeatedly in an effort to get free. They emerge during the day, when fewer predators are around, to search for food. Wild cottontails have a life expectancy of less than two years. Cottontails will eat any vegetation from grass to bark, twigs, and buds. The female lines the nest with several layers of fur, grass, leaves, rabbit droppings, and perhaps a bit of paper or other trash. Eastern cottontail usually mates during February and September. It spends the hottest part of the day under cover. Newborn cottontails are two inches long, weigh less than one ounce, and are naked, blind, and deaf—therefore totally helpless. Cottontails do not dig burrows, but rather rest in a form, a shallow, scratched-out depression in a clump of grass or under brush. Outdoor cottontail rabbits are extremely skittish and won’t willingly approach you. She is also a seasoned independent traveler and a certified personal trainer and nutrition consultant. Males take no part whatever in the rearing process, and on average, the female suckles the young only two or three times per night, rarely visiting the nest otherwise.. During the day, she usually rests in a hollow or “form” of her own making, about 20 feet or so from the nest. During the summer months, cottontails primarily eat grasses, legumes, succulent annuals, weeds, as well as the occasional garden vegetable. The Mexican cottontail's breeding season occurs throughout the year, but especially during the warm and wet summer months (March to October). This parental schedule explains why human observers often assume that rabbit nests have been abandoned. Boxing with paw-raking was the principle behavior utilized by cottontail rabbits in establishing a social hierarchy. Appalachian Cottontail 9. The eastern cottontail is a very territorial animal. 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