According to Mississippi State University biologists, Mississippi has two types of rabbits: cottontails (or “hillbillies,” as they are known in hunting circles) and the swamp rabbit (aka the “cane cutter”).
Here are a few facts about each of these critters:
• A rabbit cannot move its hind legs independently. Both move together, hence the hopping run.
• If left unmolested, a breeding pair of rabbits would grow the population to over 2,500 in just 12 months. However, young rabbit mortality is about 80 percent.
• Cottontails give birth to naked, blind young that remain in a nest until mature enough to begin feeding alone.
• Swamp rabbits give birth to fully-furred young on a bed of straw. These young rabbits are able to follow adults within a few hours.
• Male rabbits are called bucks; females are called does.
• Rabbits are part of a predator-prey cycle. High population years of rabbits are followed by high population years of predators. The trend then follows that lean years for rabbits are followed by lean years for predators.
• Rabbits can carry a disease known as tularemia, which can be transmitted to humans. Hunters are urged to wear latex or rubber gloves when cleaning rabbits. Proper cooking is also a recommended precaution.
• Rabbits “poop” on stumps or logs because they only digest part of the herbaceous material they eat on the first pass. When food sources become scarce, the bunnies will return and eat the “pills” left to dry, digesting the remaining food that was passed. The elevated surface prevents the pills from rotting on the wet ground.
