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The Endearing Eastern Cottontail Rabbit
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Puzzle | Coloring | Map
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GLOSSARY |
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Burrow |
a hole in the ground used for shelter |
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Crepuscular |
most active during early morning and late evening |
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Mammal |
animals that nourish their young with milk, and have hair on their skin
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Vegetarian |
eats only plant material |
The Endearing Eastern Cottontail Rabbit
The Endearing Eastern Cottontail Rabbit is found all over the state of Ohio, in every Ohio State Park. As Ohio was settled and land was cleared, this created the perfect habitat for the cottontail. Open spaces where there are brushy and wooded areas close by are preferred by the eastern cottontail rabbit. They also like tall, grassy areas like old fields that are slowly reverting to brush. The cottontail rabbit also uses small burrows for protection from the weather and predators.
The fur of the cottontail rabbit is thick. There is a layer of dense fur on the rabbit’s belly that is light brown in color. Longer and coarser hairs that are gray brown with black tips cover the rabbit’s back. A small reddish-brown spot can be found on the back of the neck of the cottontail rabbit and a small white patch of fur can be found under the front of its neck. The eastern cottontail rabbit’s tiny tail looks like a small white cotton ball, which is where it get its name.
 The eastern cottontail rabbit is a small mammal weighing between 2 and 4 pounds. They are typically between 14 and 17 inches long. The cottontail rabbit has large, black eyes and soft, long ears. They have excellent vision and hearing. Despite having such a tiny nose, they have a very good sense of smell, too.
There are many sounds made by the cottontail rabbit. “Worry cries” are used to startle unwanted visitors and to warn others of danger. Rabbits also use different grunts to try and scare off predators.
The eastern cottontail rabbit is a vegetarian, feasting on grasses such as clover, bluegrass and wild rye. Other favored foods consist of garden vegetables and wild strawberry. In the winter, the cottontail rabbit eats twigs, buds and bark of small woody plants and trees. It is also crepuscular, feeding mostly at dawn and dusk.
The Endearing Eastern Cottontail Rabbit sure is a dear, isn’t it?
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