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In winter the cottontail's pelage is more gray than brown. The kits develop the same coloring after a few weeks, but they also have a white blaze that goes down their forehead; this marking eventually disappears. This rabbit is medium-sized, measuring 36–48 cm (14–19 in) in total length, including a small tail that averages 5.3 cm (2.1 in).
In the wild, rabbits live in underground burrows in large groups. The temperature does not change much and is usually around 50°F. A rabbit hutch placed outside doesn't have the same insulation.
The rabbits remain active all year. When spooked a rabbit will run a couple meters then hide and freeze with ears erect, if further pursued the rabbit will hop away in a semicircular path to try and trick the predator. The only behavior to reduce predation is limiting active time to dusk and dawn, and the semicircular path they hop when chased.
Typically, they feed on leaves and bulbs of marsh plants including cattails, brushes, and grasses. [11] They can also feed on other aquatic or marsh plants such as centella, greenbrier vine, marsh pennywort, water hyacinth, wild potato, and amaryllis. [12] Marsh rabbits, like all rabbits, reingest their food, a practice known as coprophagy. [7]
Rabbits and rodents can cause injury to the thin bark and twigs of young trees. When snow covers food sources normally sought during winter, these animals often move into home lawns in search of food.
Cottontail rabbits are in the Sylvilagus genus, which is in the Leporidae family. They are found in the Americas . [ 1 ] Most Sylvilagus species have stub tails with white undersides that show when they retreat, giving them their characteristic name.
The rabbits rely on the aromatic shrub for shelter, and it’s their primary food in the winter, Rachlow said. The tiny critters have even adapted to consume the plant’s natural toxins, which ...
In summer, it feeds on plants such as grass, ferns, and leaves; in winter, it eats twigs, the bark from trees, and plants and, similar to the Arctic hare, has been known to occasionally eat dead animals. [3] It can sometimes be seen feeding in small groups. This animal is mainly active at night and does not hibernate. The snowshoe hare may have ...