Charlie Fineran’s Photo of the Week definitely has some hop to it.

It is the fourth of July Weekend and I am returning home on July 3 at 7 p.m. Just pulled into my yard and looked out my driver’s side window. There is a cottontail rabbit on the lawn not far from the high weeds, about the third time I’ve seen a rabbit in the last three days!! Took my photos and then wondered going into the house, “Have I done a story on rabbits for Inside Warren?” Checked my files and NO Rabbit – Guess I found my next Photo of the Week Story!

After doing some research, I find that fits the correct time period for seeing rabbits, dawn or dusk!! After selecting the topic, I started looking through my archives for a couple of other photos. The photo of the baby rabbit, we were coming back from breakfast on Petersburg Rd. and saw this little object in the center of the road. Backed up, got out and it was a baby rabbit!! Went to put it alongside the road and noticed it had a broken leg. Wild Baby Rescue Center in Blairstown and they advised us to bring it over.

And now for some background…The EASTERN COTTONTAIL – Sylvilagus floridanus

The most common rabbit in much of the U.S., the Eastern cottontail is primarily nocturnal, but is about near dawn and dusk and often on dark days. We usually observe cottontails just hopping around, however they can leap 10 to 15 feet. Sometimes you can get that special picture, when they stand on their hind feet to view their surroundings.

My research turned up some interesting facts: When pursued, they will usually circle their territory and often jump sideways to break their scent trail. While they usually dislike getting wet, they will swim if pressed. In the winter, where brush is strong enough to hold a covering blanket of snow, they may make a network of runways beneath it. On midwinter nights, you may sometimes see groups of cottontails frolicking on crusted snow. In cold weather, they will often take shelter in woodchuck burrows. This species feeds on many different plants, mainly herbaceous varieties in summer, (your garden included) and woody varieties in winter.

Rabbits are in the animal order called ‘lagomorphs,’ plant eating mammals, characterized by a short tail and two pairs of upper incisors, one behind the other, this order also includes other rabbits, hares and pikas. Many lagomorphs produce fecal pellets, which introduces us to an interesting ‘survival tactic,’ the Eastern Cottontail like others will feed rapidly, then retreat to the safety of a brush pile or other shelter and defecate soft green pellets, to be eaten at leisure.

These guys are grayish brown above, grizzled with black. The forehead often has a white spot. A distinct rust-colored nape. Tail cottony white below. Feet whitish above. Long ears. Length 14 to 18 inches long, weight 2 to 4 pounds.

BREEDING & NESTING:

Mates February through September. During the breeding season, males fight one another and perform dance-like courtship displays before the territorial females. These displays consist of face-offs and much jumping, including females jumping over males. Individuals often jump straight up in the air, and pairs or small groups often engage in active chases. Cottontail rabbit litters arrive 28 days after conception, without fur, they are blind and tiny, weighing less than one ounce. The young are nursed at dawn and dusk. The mother rabbit or ‘doe’ bathes the newborns and places them in a nest lined with plant material and fur from the mother’s breast. The nest cavity, in a hollow in the ground, is about 7 inches deep and 5 inches wide. The top of the nest is capped over with vegetation. NOTE: Nests in lawns are often exposed when lawn mowers take the tops off.

Within hours after giving birth the female mates again. The mother cottontail leaves the young in the nest so she can forage but remains nearby to watch for predators. The young grow rapidly, and within a week they open their eyes and grow fur. They will begin to forage beyond their nest at two weeks of age. Unfortunately, many cottontail fall to predators, extreme weather or disease, and do not survive beyond four months old. Cottontail rabbits can have as many as six litters per summer, but average three to four litters. The high mortality rate keeps the population in check. If no young were lost, a single pair, together with their offspring, could produce 350,000 rabbits in five years. However, few individuals live longer than one year.

MORE INTERESTING FACTS

Cottontails possess sharp senses of hearing, eyesight and smell to protect them from predators. A cottontail will normally move in hops, but if frightened, it will either freeze in place or run as fast as 18 miles per hour and may use an evasive zig-zag pattern as they run. Cottontails communicate by thumping their hind feet on the ground, making various vocalizations and screaming at a high pitch if captured. In the wild, cottontail rabbits may live as long as three years, but many perish much sooner. Cottontails do not hibernate and do not burrow, however, they will use abandoned dens of other animals.

TIPS FOR GARDNERS: ***The most effective method of reducing damage to your garden or other vegetation is fencing!!*** A good fence protects from almost all animals.

OBSERVATION: Most would agree, Rabbits are just plain cute, cuddly, etc., etc., and although they can do a lot of damage to our yards and gardens, they are not perceived by most as a pest. This might not be the case if the death rate were lower. They have many natural enemies including hawks, owls, foxes, mink, weasels and snakes, and also domestic dogs and cats.

Please visit my Flickr site for more photos – https://www.flickr.com/photos/charliefineran/albums/72157651592575231

Enjoy Your Open Space

Charlie Fineran

Charlie Fineran is Allamuchy’s Director of Open Space, Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission Chairman and Allamuchy Historical Society President