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Facts

This is what I am like!!!

NAME: Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii). We are named after our tail which is shaped like a cotton ball. The desert portion of our name comes from our distribution across arid lands of the American Southwest and the Plains States.

HABITAT: We live in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from desert-like grasslands and shrublands, riparian areas, and even juniper forests.

DESCRIPTION: Us cottontails are light-colored, range from tan to gray, and can have a yellowish tinge. Our underside is whitish and our throat has a orange-colored patch. Males are noticeably smaller than females, but both genders have long, detective ears.

BREEDING: Females give birth after 80 days, and mate soon again after giving birth. Females bear young year round and can produce up to 20 to 30 bunnies in a period of 4 years. A normal litter has 2 to 6 young--all born blind, furless, and unable to care for themselves. The mother makes a comfortable nest lined with grass and with her fur that she pulls off from her belly. The nest is located in a depression, abandoned burrow, or beneath a shrub. At around 2 to 3 weeks, bunnies are capable of leaving their nest to venture on their own. Desert cottontails typically live up to 2 years.

HABITS: We are very active in the early morning, late afternoon, and nighttime. In the day we are usually found resting in the shade of large shrubs, burrows, or within thickets to stay comfortable from the hot afternoon sun. With the prevalent hot and sunny weather in our environment, light-colored fur and large ears help to minimize and radiate excess heat. When one of us is alarmed, we can run up to 20 mph in a zigzag pattern to escape predators. Often we run to a protective location like a burrow or thicket. If cornered by a small predator--like a weasel--we may "bowl over" the predator and give it a kick with its hind legs. We may also freeze when danger lurks, and scrunch down to blend into its surroundings.

DIET: When we feed, our ever-growing incisors cut clean slices through twigs or plants. We are referred to as coprophagic, meaning we eat our own feces. (Gross!!!) Since grass is difficult to digest, we need to eat the first-formed set of pellets after a meal. Addtionally, nutrition is extracted during the second digestive process. Pellets from the second set are very hard, fibrous, and lack nutitive value.

PREDATORS: There is a great variety of predators to us, some of which include coyotes, golden eagles, bald eagles, and the great horned owl.

information source: www.desertusa.com

Journal

A day in the life of me...

Hello, my name is Snipper and I am a little desert cottontail bunny. I just recently left my mommy's nest a couple days ago and sometimes I see my brothers and sisters. I have two brothers and two sisters. I was the last rabbit to be born and I am also the tiniest of the litter. It is sometimes scary living on my own, but I think I will do ok. I ran into a raccoon the other day, but thankfully it didn't do anything. I said, "Hi!" but he just walked away.

When I woke up this morning at 5 o'clock I was happy to see a big green bush with pretty purple flowers on it. But when I ate the flowers I got sick. The butterflies like to eat the flowers, so I will just leave it to them. Sometimes I eat my droppings, but it is not too gross, I am supposed to do that. My mommy says that is how I get my vitamins.

I think for the rest of the day today I will stay in the shade until I see my friends and then I will play with them. We like to play hide-and-go-seek. I am a great finder; no one every finds me! My secret place is behind and underneath the big rock that looks like a eye ball by the road of Cal Poly Canyon. I can hear bikers and runners sometimes down the caynon, but I am ok, I feel safe and I love my home!

Tracks

How to spot me and see where I have been!!!

Hindprints

Track pattern

track source: www.enature.com

Jokes

Some things that crack me up!!!

Q.What is the best way to catch a unique cottontail rabbit?
A.Unique up on him!

Q.How do you know carrots are good for cottontails?
A.Did you ever see a cottontail with glasses?

A cottontail walked into a butcher shop and said, "Got any cabbage?"
The butcher said, "No."
The next day the cottontial walked into the butcher's and said, "Got any cabbage?"
The butcher said, "No!"
The next day the cottontail walked into the butcher's and said, "Got and cabbage?"
The butcher said, "NO! And if you ask me that one more time I'll nail you to the wall by your ears!"
The next day the cottontail walked into the butcher's and said, "Got any nails?"
The butcher said, "No."
The cottontail said, "Got any cabbage?"

joke source: www.bunnyrabbits.org

Thank you for visiting me!!!