DESCRIPTION
The white-tailed rabbit measures between 37.5 and 49 cm, including a tail 3.9 to 7 cm long. Its legs measure between 8 and 10.8 cm and its ears are between 5.3 and 6.6 cm. Adult individuals weigh between 1.1 and 1.5 kg, while newborns weigh between 25 and 35 g. Males and females have a similar appearance, but the female average is slightly larger than that of the male.The soft and dense fur of the white-tailed rabbit varies from brown to reddish-brown or gray on the upper parts of the body, with a pinch of black. There is usually a reddish-brown spot on the nape of the neck, but it can be yellowish-brown to black in individuals living south of its range. The underside of the body is white, as is the underside of the tail. This is usually held against the back of the animal, which means that this white surface is clearly visible. The ears of this species are slightly darker than its back and maybe edged with black. Often there is a white spot on the forehead of the animal and a bright ring around each eye. Juveniles are usually lighter in color than adults.
Unlike other species of rabbits and hares, the white-tailed rabbit does not develop a white coat in winter, unlike the snowshoe hare. To differentiate it from the New England rabbit (Sylvilagus transitional), you have to look at the coat. Indeed, the New England rabbit does not have a cinnamon-colored neck and has a black spot between the two ears.
HABITAT
The white-tailed rabbit is widely distributed in the United States (eastern United States, eastern Rocky Mountains, southwestern and northwestern parts), Central America (central and eastern Mexico, southwestern Guatemala, southern Honduras, El Salvador, central Nicaragua, northwestern Costa Rica), and is found in southern Canada (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec) and the northern part of South America (Colombia and Venezuela).An adaptable and successful species, the white-tailed rabbit is able to survive in a wide variety of different habitats, including forests, grasslands, swamps, deserts, farmland, pastures, hedgerows, clearings, and even urban areas. However, it often prefers open areas with cover nearby, such as mixed farmland and hedgerows, or open or forest-edge habitats.
FEEDING
The diet of the white-tailed rabbit varies depending on the type of habitat and the season. It consists of several herbaceous plant species such as dandelion, plantain, Solidago, and clover. In winter, when these plants are scarce, it consumes woody materials such as bark, stems, and buds of trees and shrubs. Like other rabbits and hares, the white-tailed rabbit is coprophagous, re-ingesting and chewing its own feces to extract nutrients as efficiently as possible.
REPRODUCTION
The breeding season varies with latitude and altitude, with breeding activity beginning later at higher elevations and northern latitudes. Before giving birth, pregnant females make a nest by digging a hole lined with grasses and hair pulled from their bodies often sheltered in a bush or tall grass. The female usually gives birth to 7 young at a time after a gestation period of 25 to 35 days. Young kits have only a thin layer of fur at birth and are deaf and blind. While the young rabbits are in the nest, the mother briefly goes to feed them, carefully covering the nest to hide them after she leaves. The young usually open their eyes around 4 or 5 days and are able to leave the nest after about 2 weeks, but they can sometimes return over the next few days.
The takes place around 2 or 3 months. A majority of females breed for the first time in the spring following birth, but 10% to 36% of females breed young. Males will mate with more than one female. The annual productivity of females can reach 35 young.
BEHAVIOR
Most foraging activities take place at dawn and dusk. During the rest of the day, the white-tailed rabbit rests in the shelter during the day. At rest, this species shelters in a form that usually consists of a small depression in the ground under a pile of brush, a grove, or a dense tuft of grass, where the rabbit can remain hidden. It can also take shelter in underground burrows dug by other animals during the harsh winter. He often uses the same trails to get around. It lives solitary, except during the breeding season and the period when the young are raised.
PREDATION
The white-tailed rabbit has to deal with many predators, both natural and introduced. Its population is widespread in North America, so it is an important part of the diet of many animals.Its main enemies include wild (or domestic) cats, dogs, snakes, red foxes, American gray foxes, coyotes, bobcats, several species of weasels and skunks, American mink, raccoon, American marten, Pennant's marten, American badger, and Virginia opossum. Many raptors are also potential predators of the white-tailed rabbit such as the red-tailed hawk, the great-horned owl, or the goshawk. Juveniles are rare in the diet of the gray owl. Traces of white-tailed rabbit remains have been found in the remains of American black bears.
The white-tailed rabbit can escape predators with their fast, jumping form of locomotion. It can run at speeds of up to 28 km/h. To escape the danger it can freeze in place or run in zig-zag to a coverage area.
THREATS
The white-tailed rabbit is a widespread, abundant, and adaptable species that is not currently considered threatened. An effective colonizer, it is expanding its range in many areas where it has been introduced, often posing a problem for native rabbit species. Although abundant, white-tailed rabbit subpopulations are at risk due to human disturbance, habitat changes, predation by invasive alien species, and hunting pressures throughout its range. In some places, it is threatened by competition from livestock and habitat fragmentation. Many white-tailed rabbit nests are destroyed by mowing, plowing, and burning, and adults are often killed on the roads. It is also a major game. Millions of individuals are slaughtered every year for sport and food.
STATUS AND CONSERVATION
The White-tailed Rabbit is a widespread species currently listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. It is the most widely distributed species of its genus and is abundant throughout its range. It has been introduced to parts of North America and Europe and is expanding its range by replacing other Leporidae.
The white-tailed rabbit is the most important regulated game in the United States. The eastern coasts have declined since the mid-twentieth century due to changes in agriculture, but they have also been introduced largely outside their original range. It can pose a threat to sympatric species, such as the New England rabbit in the northeastern United States. Research is needed on taxonomy, distribution, population size, and how the white-tailed rabbit affects other species.
No specific conservation measures are currently in place for this abundant and successful mammal. Provided it has a suitable cover, the white-tailed rabbit is able to reproduce quickly and populate the available habitat. In some cases, measures are needed to prevent this species from damaging orchards, ornamental trees, and gardens, but the white-tailed rabbit plays a vital role in the food chain as prey for many other animals and can thus reduce predation.
SUBSPECIES
According to the current classification, the ITIS does not recognize any subspecies of white-tailed rabbits. Previously, 35 subspecies were described, varying in size and coloration. Today, their number is still debated, because if the ITIS recognizes none, MSW still recognizes 18 of which here is the list below:- Sylvilagus floridanus floridanus - Sylvilagus floridanus alacer
- Sylvilagus floridanus chapmani - Sylvilagus floridanus holzneri
- Sylvilagus floridanus mallurus - Sylvilagus floridanus aztecus
- Sylvilagus floridanus connectens - Sylvilagus floridanus hondurensis
- Sylvilagus floridanus macrocorpus - Sylvilagus floridanus orizabae
- Sylvilagus floridanus yucatanicus - Sylvilagus floridanus avius
- Sylvilagus floridanus cumanicus - Sylvilagus floridanus margaritae
- Sylvilagus floridanus nigronuchalis - Sylvilagus floridanus orinoci
- Sylvilagus floridanus purgatus - Sylvilagus floridanus superciliaris
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