Meet the cottontail, a perfectly named rabbit
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Is there an animal with a more appropriate name than the cottontail rabbit? When you see a rabbit hopping by with its fluffy white cotton ball tail, you just know it must be a cottontail rabbit.
Not that there are a lot of other options when it comes to rabbits here in northern Illinois. There are only two species of rabbits that live in Illinois. Only one, the cottontail, can be found statewide. The other, the swamp rabbit, lives only in the southern third of the state.
Aside from their white tails, cottontail rabbits are mostly brown, with white bellies and throats. Their large ears are their other most noticeable feature. They typically grow to be 14 inches to 16 inches long and can weigh between 2 pounds and 3 pounds.
Rabbits are often thought of as rodents, but they are classified as lagomorphs. Besides rabbits and hares, the only other animals that are lagomorphs are pikas. Mountain pikas are small mammals that live mainly in the Rocky Mountains.
Their breeding ability is no joke
Cottontail rabbits are known for their ability to have a lot of babies. A single female cottontail rabbit can have between 20 and 25 babies each year.
Words to know
Offspring: A person or animal’s child or children.
Regulate: To control or maintain the rate of something so it operates properly.
Trademark: Identifiable as typical of something.
Vulnerable: Susceptible to harm.
One reason rabbits have so many offspring is because they can begin to reproduce when they are as young as 6 months old. They can also have up to three litters a year, with four to six babies in each litter.
Baby rabbits are called kits. Females are solely responsible for caring for the kits after they are born. She will typically leave her babies alone in their nest during the day and return in the morning and evening to nurse them. The kits are able to leave the nest about three weeks after they are born.
They don't live long
Cottontail rabbits are common, but they don't live long. Their life expectancy is generally less than two years. Many baby rabbits die in the first month of life.
The main reason for their short lifespan is the critical role they play in ecosystem as prey. Many predators rely on rabbits and other small mammals as an important food source, so they are frequently hunted.
In Illinois, common predators include coyotes, foxes and raptors such as owls. Because they are a key link in many food chains, predator populations often decline in areas when the rabbit population declines.
They eat their own poop
Cottontail rabbits are herbivores and eat many types of plants, but you might be surprised to learn the source of some of that vegetation — their own feces. Yes, that's right. Cottontail rabbits commonly eat their own feces.
In the animal kingdom, the practice of an animal eating its feces is called coprophagy. For rabbits, coprophagy is a crucial part of their diet because of how they digest food. When rabbits poop, some of the pellets will contain undigested grass, clover, alfalfa and more. The rabbits will swallow these moist, green pellets without chewing to allow their digestive system to better digest the food and absorb the nutrients the second time around.
It is thought that essentially eating their food twice is useful for rabbits because it allows them to escape predators and other threats. Because they eat often and are vulnerable while eating, they often have to flee before finishing a meal. Being able to redigest some of their food allows them better access to the nutrients in the plants they eat.
They like wide open spaces — but close to cover
You've probably seen a rabbit munching on plants in your yard or a neighborhood park or preserve. They like these open spaces, but they usually don't go too far from a brushy or weedy spot where they can quickly take cover. They usually stay away from wetlands or large grassy areas because they don't offer a lot of cover for safety.
Because rabbits often feed in open areas, they rely on a unique pattern of movement to help escape danger. When they spot danger, they may first stay still, hoping they aren't detected. If a potential threat closes in, they will flee, hopping away quickly in a zig-zag pattern. The zig-zag pattern is key because it helps them avoid being caught by predators.
Their big ears are useful for a few things
Besides their tail, the most noticeable feature on a cottontail rabbit is its large ears. Bigger doesn't always mean better in the animal kingdom, but in the case of a rabbit's ears, their large size does help rabbits hear well.
Rabbits can turn their ears 270 degrees, and they can move their ears independent of one another. Their big ears also play a role in helping them regulate their body temperature. Their ears contain a lot of blood vessels that can become enlarged when it is hot or constrict when it is cold. When it's hot, this allows more body heat to escape, helping the rabbit cool off. Conversely, when it is cold, the constricted blood vessels help them retain body heat.
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