Rabbits -- School-age
Rabbits
Things to Know
The animal family Leporidae consists primarily of rabbits and hares. Rabbits are small mammals known for their long ears, which can measure more than 2 inches (6 cm) long, powerful hind legs, and short tail.
Do not pick a rabbit up by its ears. That hurts!
Rabbits are found on every continent except Antarctica. They are found all over the world, although they are not native to some areas people introduced them to those areas. Rabbits live in parks, gardens, meadows, woods, forests, grasslands, deserts and wetlands.
There are about 28 species (or types) of rabbits and about 30 species of hares. One species domestic rabbit, is the one we normally keep as a pets. Most domestic pet rabbits are European rabbits. The domestic rabbit has been breed into many different types of rabbits.
An American Fuzzy Lop
Rabbits range in color from white, sandy, fawn, gray, to black. Their size varies from 8 inches (20 cm) to 20 inches (50 cm) in length. The largest is the Flemish Giant and the smallest type is the American Fuzzy Lop.
A Flemish Giant rabbit napping next to a Sheltie dog.
Cottontail Rabbit
They have short tails that resemble a round fluffy ball. The cottontail rabbit is named Cottontail Rabbit after its short fluffy white tail that looks like a big cotton ball. It is a medium-sized rabbit of 14 to 18 inches (36-48 cm) in length.
Cottontail Rabbit
The cottontail will "freeze", sit very still when another animal approaches. By sitting still the cottontail tries to avoid being noticed. If freezing doesn't work and the animal or person continues toward the rabbit it will hop away in a zig-zag pattern. The cottontail is a good swimmer and can escape predators by running into lakes and streams. It nests above ground rather than digging burrows. Surface nest are called forms.
Story
Native American Story-Why Rabbit Has A Short Tail
