Let’s talk about rabbits! No, not the “Wascally Wabbit” from the silver screen but the ones we see in our backyards, our parks and even at some of our friend’s homes.
According to Wikipedia, as of 2017, there were at least 305 breeds of domesticated rabbit located in 70 countries with Washington State home to eight of these species. Our six native species are:
Nuttall’s Cottontail
Pygmy Rabbit
Pika
Snowshoe Hare
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
White-tailed Jackrabbit
The two non-native or introduced species are Eastern Cottontail and Domestic Rabbit.
The European Rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, is the ancestor of hundreds of breeds worldwide and a member of the lagomorph order.
While most of our rabbit species in Washington are found in the Cascades and to the east, the most common ones here are the Snowshoe Hares in the Cascade foothills, while in Thurston County, we primarily have the Eastern Cottontail.
Eastern Cottontails were introduced to Washington in the 1930s and have adapted to living in urban areas. They are the ones we see in the parks and our backyards. Eastern Cottontails are grayish brown, interspersed with some black and may have a small white spot on their forehead. Along with a short tail that is cottony-white on the underside, adults can weigh anywhere from two to four pounds.
Rabbits have excellent smell, hearing and vision and can even see behind them while having a small blind spot in front of their nose. This is important as, unfortunately, they are prey to carnivores. Because of this they have developed tactics to try and avoid capture. Snowshoe Hares can break into a full run from a sitting position and attain speeds of 25 to 35 miles per hour while Cottontails can run in a zigzag pattern to avoid predators.
Cottontail nests are difficult to detect as can be attested by Trish when she found one in her front garden by her porch. Luckily, she investigated before clearing out what she thought was a small pile of wind-spread debris. The nest was a slanting hole dug in soft soil, lined with fur from the mother’s underside, along with vegetation. The average nest is barely 7 inches long, 5 inches wide and only 4.5 inches deep. Females can, on average, have up to four litters during the warm months with up to an average of 5 kits (babies). After birth, the mother does not stay in the nest but returns to the opening twice a day to nurse.
Sadly, June is known as “Dump Month” for rabbits bred to be pets. Everyone who gets tired of the Easter Bunnies they got for their children abandons them at a park or somewhere they think they will thrive. Unfortunately, most are not able to survive. Various sources report that rabbits are the third most abandoned/euthanized pet behind dogs and cats. Every year, thousands of domestic rabbits are bought at Easter and never make it to their first birthday.
Here’s the part no gardener or property owner likes to hear. While rabbits feed on grasses and other vegetation during the summer, they can, and sometimes do, feed on gardens and other ornamental plants. During the winter months, they may nibble on small trees and shrubs.
As always, the choice is yours. There are many scent repellents and options to repel rabbits and other unwanted visitors. Some people swear by them while others had limited success. Or if you want to protect only one or two plants or shrubs, you can try building a small barrier (usually made of chicken wire). Some people go so far as to try and make their whole fenced-in backyard rabbit-proof. Again, the choice is yours.
We’ve gone in a different direction as we have tried to make our backyards a sanctuary for not only our Sylvilagus floridanus (Eastern Cottontail) friends but our Douglas and Eastern squirrel friends, a wide variety of other animals, along with all our birds. No fertilizers or pesticides on the backyard grass or gardens, along with plants that they can eat naturally, along with daily changed water. During the winter, a small supplement of Timothy Hay or hay-based pellets helps avoid unwanted plant damage. Special gaps in the fences have been provided for them with shelter from predators and inclement weather.
While we receive joy from all our pets, there is another simple pleasure we can all share from interacting with our wildlife “pets”. The ones who show up daily and continuously to where we can recognize their distinct individual markings and personalities. We’ve had generations of birds and animals show up and our rabbit friends will always be a special part of that magic.
“Wascally Wabbit” may put in your mind Elmer Fudd’s version of “rascally rabbit” but in fact, it’s an adjective from Scottish English that means “weary or exhausted”. So “wabbit” is how Elmer Fudd feels after chasing the elusive Bugs Bunny around the forest.
We just want to thank everyone who donated items for the silent Auction and bid on those items and everyone who came to our Old Dog Haven fundraiser on Saturday, August 17, making it a huge success. And a special thank you to Northwest Beerwerks for co-sponsoring the event and having it at their location.
Thom Donitz and Trish Lynn are neighbors and close friends who share their love of animals and wildlife. Trish and Thom are residents of Tumwater. Contact them at pets@theJOLTnews.com.
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