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Rabbits |
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Jack
Rabbits Jack Rabbits are true hares
because, unlike the cottontailed rabbits, they do not build nests. The
mother simply chooses a place to her liking and the young are born fully
furred, with their eyes wide open.
Hares have many natural enemies.
Coyotes, Bobcats, foxes, Horned Owls, hawks and snakes prey on both the
young and adults.
Hares are active primarily at night. During the day they lie crouched in
a "form" which they have made by using the same spot in a clump of grass
or weeds. With their long ears flattened against their back, they are
difficult to see. Frequently on hot summer days, they can be seen
resting in the shade of a small bush or even a fence post. When
frightened they run with such speed that few dogs can catch them. At the
start of the chase their speed is broken by high long leaps.
Hares are strict vegetarians, eating a great variety of herbs and
shrubs. In farming areas the Black-tailed Jack may become a serious pest
in young orchards and to other agricultural crops.
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Cottontails Cottontails are named
after their tail, which is shaped like a cottony ball. The desert
cottontail is born in a nest lined with grass and with fur which the
mother pulls from her belly. The nest is located in a depression,
abandoned badger or prairie dog burrow, or beneath a shrub.
Active early morning, late afternoon and at night, but may be seen at
any time of the day. During the day, cottontails may rest in the shades
of large shrubs, in burrows or within thickets. In the hot months
of summer, they conserve moisture and energy by avoiding activity during
the hot, dry daylight hours. |
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Cottontails are herbivores, and they eat a
wide variety of plants, including grasses, forbs, shrubs and even cacti;
however, ninety percent of their diet is grass. Cottontails will forage
on domestic crops, even the bark of fruit trees. They get most of their
water from either the plants they eat or dew that forms on the plants.
When cottontails feed, their ever-growing incisors cut clean slices
through twigs or plants at a forty five-degree angle. Other browsers,
like deer or bighorn, chew the tips and create a ragged edges. |
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When alarmed, a cottontail can run up to
twenty miles per hour in a zigzag pattern to escape predators. Often,
the cottontail runs to a protective location like a burrow or thicket.
If cornered by a small predator, like a weasel, a cottontail may "bowl
over" the predator and give it a kick with its powerful hind legs as
well. A cottontail may also freeze when danger lurks, and scrunch down
to blend into its surroundings. |
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