Texas Game and Fish, Volume 6, Number 2, January 1948 Page: 5
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The Rabbit
Big Game of the Small BoyT HE cottontail rabbit is not only the
big game of the small boy, it is also
the leading game animal of this state.
The bobwhite quail may attract more at-
tention, and draw a bigger crowd for its
December debut, but the cottontail sea-
son is much longer, about twice as many
cottontails are killed annually, and the
cottontail occupies considerably more area
in this state. Also, the cottontail is most
abundant in areas where the quail is com-
paratively scarce.
The hares and rabbits form a family,
the Leporidae, scattered widely over the
earth, but being most numerous in north-
ern regions where the animals have al-
ways been an important food resource for
man and beast. All members of the fam-
ily are much alike in the long, haunched
hind legs, which give great leaping and
dodging power; tall erectile ears; divided
upper lip; and grizzled brown coat, with
variations of white
and black.
The term "rabbit"
has almost entirely
replaced "hare" in
America, because the
common small hare
of the Atlantic coast,
one of the animals
first seen by the early
settlers, looked more
like the rabbit they
had known in Eu-
rope than like their
bigger E ur op e an
hares; and they ig-
nored the difference
in habits as they did
so many other facts
in their careless nam-
ing of the New
World animals after
those of Europe. It
must be remembered
that the Pilgrims,
Puritans, and Cava-
liers came mostly
from cities, and
knew little about ru-
ral things, to which
ignorance they owed
many of their hard-
ships and misfor-
tunes in their new
home. Hence, the
small hare of the eas-
tern and midwestern
United S t a t e s be-
came the "cottontail
rabbit," the varying
hare of northern re-
gions b e c a m e the
"snowshoe rabbit,"
and the big-eared
hare of the west be-came the "jack rabbit."
Actually, the true rabbits are colonial
dwellers, living in crowded diggings called
"warrens," which are labyrinths of con-
necting burrows. The young are born in
these warrens. The hares, to which our
American group belongs, do not dwell in
warrens, and the young are boan in the
open in small depressions called "forms."
Only in severe winter weather does our
cottontail occasionally enter a woodchuck
hole for shelter from the storm, or to es-
cape enemies, while the snowshoe hare
and western jack rabbit probably never
enter burrows.
The gestation period of the cottontail
averages 30 days, but the time may vary
between 25 and 35 days. The first litter
is usually born early in April although
young are occasionally found even earlier.
Three or four litters per year seem to be
common in southern Michigan.COTTONTMIL
RABeITMICHIGAN CONSERVATION
<7
AfThe female, before the young are born,
digs a bowl-shaped depression in the
ground about four to six inches in depth
and four inches in width which she lines
with dry grass and then fur from her own
body. The young cottontails, which are
born blind and helpless, are placed in this
nest, where they remain for about two
weeks. The average litter is about five,
but there is considerable variation. The
mother is believed to return from time to
time during the night and occasionally
during the day to lie over the nest, allow-
ing the young to nurse without leaving
their snug haven.
If danger threatens, the mother can
dash away, while the nest remains se-
curely hidden. It is difficult to discover
a rabbit nest until the young have left it,
so well is it concealed. Systematic search
often proves fruitless, and nests are usually
discovered by chance. The well-concealedn e s t protects the
young from keen-
eyed predators.
Cottontails are not
as defenseless as is
generally believed,
and have been ob-
served to defend
themselves from cats
by leaping over the
cat's back, upsetting
the cat with blows
from the hind legs
en route. The big
Belgian hares so
common in captivity
are reported to de-
fend themselves suc-
cessfully from dogs
in the same way. Of
course, the principal
defense of the rab-
bits and hares is
their speed and abil-
ity to dodge. They
have astonishing skill
in halting, doubling,
and changing their
course, by which
means they get a
fresh start b e f o r e
their clumsier pursu-
ers can see what
has happened and
change their own
course to correspond.
Along with this go
e x t r e m e timidity
and watchfulness, in
which the big ears
serve a most useful
purpose, rising at the
slightest sound, but
dropping out of the
Continued on page 15
SJANIJARY_ 1948
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Texas. Game and Fish Commission. Texas Game and Fish, Volume 6, Number 2, January 1948, periodical, January 1948; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1588331/m1/5/?rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.