Hop to It!

Here comes Peter Cottontail.  Well maybe not Peter, but I saw a cottontail in my yard this week. He was quick enough to scamper out of the way of my parking spot.  I am not sure if it was the same one but another cottontail was in the courtyard and enjoying the foliage under the trees while I was having a swim in my pool.  

Cottontails are the most well-known and most widely distributed rabbit in North, Central and South America. They have short stubby tails with white undersides that you can see when they retreat. Thus giving them the name cottontail. Cottontail rabbits are small animals with small ears and lean legs and bodies. 

Most species of cottontails live in nests called forms and all have altricial young.  I looked up the meaning of ‘altricial young’ and found that means their babies are born with little to no hair and with their eyes and ears closed. An adult female can have on average three litters per year.  The average litter consists of four babies but some litters can range from as few as two to as many as eight. Young rabbits will leave the nest at about 15-20 days old.  By three weeks of age they are on their own in the wild, no longer needing their mother’s care.

Cottontails are usually found in or near wooded areas and meadows.  They have adapted to urbanization and will live in city parks, golf courses and in residential yards. Cottontails like to eat leafy plants, buds, twigs, and bark.  They will seek shelter for resting and sleeping under thick brush, shrubs, seldom used sheds, and even in a hole previously created by another animal. 

Almost all predators including rattlesnakes, hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, dogs and cats will eat cottontails. Some people hunt cottontails for their meat and fur. Rabbits will bite.  Anything that may scare or threaten them will make them aggressive. Rabbits have a short life.  Research shows about 25% of  eastern cottontails only survive for two years with an average lifespan of 15 months.

Cottontails are solitary animals.  They might live near each other but can often keep their own space of a few acres in size. Female rabbits will often live a bit closer to each other.

Rabbits jump to express joy, to alleviate boredom, to fight, or to attract a mate.  They jump to establish dominance as well. 

Here are the sayings on the bookmark I found sharing advice from a Cottontail.

• Spend Time in Nature

• Jump On Opportunities

• Nibble Away at Challenges

• Be All Ears

• Show Your Soft Side

• Eat Your Greens

• Hop to It!

These are my thoughts about each of the sayings.

• Spend Time in Nature - Get outside and enjoy the world around you.

• Jump On Opportunities - Take action and try new things.

• Nibble Away at Challenges - Take small steps and keep moving forward.

• Be All Ears - Listen and learn.

• Show Your Soft Side - Show compassion and respect for others.

• Eat Your Greens - Eat a healthy diet.

• Hop to It! - Get busy, take action and get the task done.   

Have a great day everyone.

# living life abundantly   # published author    # travelling tuesdays