Hobbies And Interests
Cottontail Rabbit Habitat
Cottontail rabbits are the most common species in the Americas. They range from South America to Canada and from the Great Plains to the Atlantic Coast, and can be identified by their distinctive cotton-ball tail. Cottontails are nocturnal browsers who love herbs, grasses and garden vegetables; in the winter, they'll gnaw twigs and roots. They are extremely adaptable to suburbs and often live near humans, favoring the fringe where woodlands meet the open spaces of fields, large lawns or meadows.
Jackrabbit Habitat
Technically, the jackrabbit is not a rabbit but a hare. Hares are a similar but distinct species with larger ears and hind legs. Jackrabbits are found in central and western regions of North America. The black-tailed jackrabbit prefers scrub land, desert and open spaces, while the white-tailed jackrabbit favors plains and woodlands. Both types inhabit farms, to the exasperation of farmers -- they are often hunted to keep their populations under control and can breed six times a year. Jackrabbits eat large quantities of grasses and shrubs, and can eat tough fibers such as cacti and sagebrush.
Rabbit Control
In five years, one breeding pair of cottontails can become 350,000 cottontails. An uncontrolled rabbit population can wreak havoc on human notions of acceptable landscape and gardening, and many people choose to use some form of rabbit control. Chicken wire or other fine-mesh fencing 2 to 3 feet high will keep rabbits out. Rabbit repellents, available in either pellet or spray form, may also be effective. Rabbits can be trapped in cage traps and relocated, or trapped and hunted with traditional means by licensed hunters.
Rabbit Rescue
If you find a nest of baby rabbits that has been torn up, or if your pet presents you with a living baby rabbit, your best option is to call your local wildlife management agency and arrange to bring the rabbit or litter to a wildlife rehabilitation facility. Baby rabbits have a very low tolerance for human contact; they may appear calm while actually paralyzed with fear. Keep them in a small box such as a shoebox lined with soft, clean cloth, ventilated with air holes and warm, until you can get them into expert care. It's illegal to keep wild rabbits as pets.