Although there are many types of cottontail rabbits, the Easter Cottontail is the most common. Cottontails are named for their “cotton ball” tail. Usually, the rabbits live in meadows, farms and other habitats, however, they can adapt to areas where humans live. Many people get rabbits confused with rodents, however they are not rodents. Rabbits belong in a group of animals called lagomorphs. They mostly eat at night in order to remain hidden from predators. Their diet consists of things found in your garden, such as, peas, and lettuce. In winter their diet changes, through then they eat bark and twigs. Although prey animals and a popular game species, cottontails are somewhat smart animals, they also have a keen sight and hearing. If spotted they run from their predator in a zig-zag pattern. Cottontails are also fast they can move at speeds up to 18 mph.
Cottontails are active all year round. Their home ranges for about three acres for females and eight acres for males. Female rabbits reproduce three to four times a year and have a litter of around four or five kittens, however, only around 15% of their offspring survive. Rabbits are sexually mature at around only three to four months old. They make nests by scratching an shallow hole into the ground. Adults are usually solitary, except when caring for young. This is a great video on how the mother nurses her young in the wild: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LhdR37W33w
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