INFORMATION LEAFLET-No. 10
Probably no other group of animals is more beset
by adversity than the hares and rabbits. All of the
meat-eaters from the weasel and blacksnake to the
wolf and great horned owl are constantly hunting
them out, and to top it off "Br'er Cottontail" furnishes more meat for American tables than any other
game animal.
Oregon gunners find great sport pursuing the
big jackrabbits and the smaller cottontails, which
are found in abundance throughout the state. Most
of the hunting takes place during the winter months
following the closure of the seasons on other game
animals in what is termed "off season shooting".
Rabbits are short-lived and probably have little
more than one chance in twenty of attaining a first
birthday. Very few are likely to die of the infirmities
of old age. Yet, despite all the hazards, these creatures are probably our most common animal.
This group of animals belongs to the order of
rodents, but instead of having four incisors, or "chisel
teeth", the rabbits have six. The extra pair are small
and are placed directly behind the large pair in the
upper jaw. The little teeth are rounded and lack a
cutting edge. They cannot be seen without prying
open the mouth and looking behind the large upper
teeth.
Strictly speaking, the term "rabbit" should be
reserved for the cottontail family while the term
"hare" should be used for the snowshoe and jacks.
The ears and hind legs of rabbits are considerably
shorter than those of hares and the digestive tracts of
the two groups have structural differences. Rabbits
are born hairless and blind while hares are wellfurred and their eyes are open.
In addition, the pika is closely related to the
rabbits and hares, all three of which belong in a
general group known as "Lagomorpha".
way across the Cascades and have become quite
numerous in southwestern Oregon and the Willamette Valley.
(Lepus)
Three members of the hare family are found in
Oregon, the varying hare or snowshoe rabbit, the
black-tailed jackrabbit and the white-tailed jackrabbit. The snowshoe is a native of the timbered
country while the jackrabbits prefer the wide open
desert or sagebrush plains of eastern Oregon. In
recent years the big jackrabbits have found their
is longer in winter than in summer. These "snowshoes" prevent slipping on icy crusts and hold the
animal up in soft snow.
Like all of its close relatives, the varying hare
is well concealed as long as it remains perfectly
still, a defensive measure which is often more useful than speed. Where snow covers the ground, the
varying hare changes its brown summer raiment for
VARYING HARE
(Snowshoe Rabbit)
A native of the timbered areas throughout Oregon, this big brown hare with a white tail can hardly
be distinguished from the shadows into which it
seems to melt. If you return to the same spot in
the dead of winter the same animal might be there.
It is still almost invisible, but instead of being brown
it is as white as the snow that covers the landscape.
Only dark eyes and black-tipped ears betray its
presence. Because of its varying color with the season, it is called the varying hare.
Its "snowshoes" have also given it the name of
snowshoe rabbit. Its long toes spread wide and
the soles of the feet are covered with coarse hair that
Information-Education Department
OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION
Portland, Oregon
aq;
a winter white one. The shift is irregular and often
occurs in patchwork fashion. The change generally
requires about two months and is completed about
the time the ground is covered with lasting snow.
In the Coast Range the winter color may change only
to a patchwork of brown and white or it may not
change at all.
The snowshoe hare is a strict vegetarian. Succulent herbs and tender buds form the major portion
of its summer diet. During winter it is dependent
mostly on shrubs and trees and is fond of aspen,
willow, alder and maple. It eats the bark, twigs and
often the needles of conifers, including fir, cedar,
hemlock, spruce and tamarack.
Mating generally begins in late March or early
April and may extend throughout the summer. The
young are born in about forty days. The size of the
litter ranges from one to six. Three or four is most
common.
The mother hare does not build a nest but merely
stops where she happens to be. All of the young are
usually born within a half hour. The youngsters are
fully covered with fur and can walk and even hop
within an hour after birth. At one week of age they
are making short exploratory i;rips from their hiding
place.
Contrary to popular belief that young hares can
get along from birth without maternal care, they
would die in a few days without milk. As a rule
they nurse for about four weeks and would continue
longer if permitted. At about two weeks they begin
to nibble at tender grass and other herbs and could
probably survive from that time if the mother were
killed.
The snowshoe is a fairly large hare with summer
fur more reddish than that of the jacks or cottontails.
Its hind feet are always much larger, with longer
toes. Average weight is around three pounds with
a maximum of four.
BLACK-TAILED JACKRABBIT
Long ears that stand out like twin antennae characterize the black-tailed jackrabbit as he bobs off
across the plains. The ears twist and turn with each
jump as if to catch every sound of pursuit.
.
The long hind legs and feet propel the ammal
ahead at speeds up to 35 miles an hour. In times
of stress the ears are flattened back along the neck
as the animal leaps forward in a burst of speed.
Only the greyhound can run down a fleet jackrabbit in fair chase. The coyote, fox and bobcat
must use cunning to catch the fleet-running jack.
The black-tailed jack, like his cousin the whitetailed jackrabbit, inhabits the open treeless regions
of Oregon. It is found in greatest numbers in the
sagebrush country east of the Cascade Mountains.
Jacks have invaded western Oregon, especially the
Willamette Valley.
The jackrabbit feels safer at night and prefers
to feed at that time. Although it may go out at any
time during cloudy days, usually it waits until the
shadows are long in late afternoon.
The black-tailed jack is fond of succulent green
vegetation. He has a hearty appetite and nibbles almost constantly from the time he begins to forage
in the afternoon until he returns to his hiding place
the following morning. It is no wonder that in the
west jackrabbits are disliked by farmers and ranchers. In years of peak abundance a landowner may
be forced to take harsh measures to protect his
crops.
The jackrabbit is not always destructive and in
reasonable numbers is an asset. He serves as food
for valuable fur bearing animals and acts as a buffer
between livestock, poultry and game birds and their
predatory enemies.
The mother jackrabbit builds a nest by digging
out a bowl in the earth under an overhanging shrub.
She lines the nest with fur which she pulls from
her own coat. She may have up to six young but
the average is two to three.
The young are fully clothed with brownish fur,
and their eyes are open. They can stand up and
take a few steps within five minutes after birth.
They are able to hop around within a few hours
and begin to nibble on greens within a few days.
They attain adult stature within two months. Several litters of young are raised each year.
Hunting the black-tailed jack is fine sport. Its
bounding gait makes it an elusive target for even a
crack marksman. The flesh is palatable but like the
flesh of all rabbits it should be well cooked.
The black-tailed jack has a white tail with the
upper surface blackish. Over-all color is grayish
with a tinge of brown on the back. General weight
is around four pounds with a maximum of seven
pounds.
WHITE-TAILED JACKRABBIT
The first indication of the white-tailed jackrabbit's presence is often a flash of white as he
explodes in full flight from under the very feet of a
would-be enemy. Such tactics are likely to fluster
WHITETAIL JACKRABBIT
(Lepus townsend;)
IS"-22" long Ears S'!..S" long
wl.S-Slbs.
even a nerveless hunter like the coyote. A second's
uncertainty on the part of the hunter may be long
enough for this big hare to get away.
The white-tailed jack is similar in color to the
blacktail except the top of the tail is white or at
best with only a few black or grayish hairs. It is
larger than the blacktail, averaging about six pounds
with a maximum of 13 pounds.
All animals of this species become much paler
during the winter months and those in the north
and at high elevations are almost pure white. At
that time of year the white-tailed jack is often mistaken for the snowshoe rabbit.
Food of the white-tailed jack is similar to that of
other rabbits. At times, during peak populations, it
may become destructive to agricultural crops. Its
meat ranks on a higher plane than the blacktail and
is used more widely for food. The white-tailed jack
is also more prolific than the blacktail, often having
as many as eight young to a litter.
The jackrabbit has a great many enemies besides
man. He is among the most popular item in the
diet of bobcats and foxes. Snakes seek out and eat
the young. Predatory birds, such as the bald and
golden eagles, great horned owl, and the red-tailed
and rough-legged hawk swoop down from the air.
In some areas rabbits form the major food item for
the coyote. Many ranchers remark on the increase
of rabbits that often follows a coyote eradication
campaign.
THE RABBITS
(Sylvilagus)
Four members of the cottontail family are residents of Oregon. The Rocky Mountain or Oregon
cottontail, the brush rabbit, and the pygmy rabbit
are native of the state, while the eastern cottontail
has been introduced. Because the life history is
similar all will be treated under the general heading with descriptions and range following.
From the fur-lined cradle to the grave (usually in
some carnivore's stomach) the cottontail rabbit is
beset with adversity. All of the meat eaters, including man, constantly seek it out.
As it scurries off on short legs, zigzagging in erratic bounds, the raised, fluffy "cotton-ball" tail proclaims its identity. The pure white "cotton" tail is
lacking in some members of the group but in general it is a distinctive family badge.
Every mature female does her best to fill the
hedge rows, brushy draws and slopes with her
youngsters. She may breed before she's a year old
and produce anywhere from four to six litters a year,
with each family numbering from one to eight.
The mother cottontail digs a shallow depression,
a short burrow, or she may take over an abandoned
den for her nest. She lines the nest with fur from
her own body and goes about the business of raising her brood. The nest is carefully hidden by
covering it with grass and leaves. Only at night
does she return to the nest to feed her youngsters.
(Lepus americanus)
II
II
13-IS
long Ears 3 IZ"
4- 4"
"'I.2-4Ibs.
OREGON COTTONTAIL
(Sy/vi fagus nu floI/O
" long Ears 2 I",
12 "
-14
'S- 23,,,
's long
wt. 11/2 - 3 Ibs.
BRUSH RABBIT
(Sy/vi /agus bacllmani)
11'~13" long Ears 2"-2::;'S"
wt.11t4 -1 4/ S lbS.
PIGMY RABBIT
(Sylvi/agus idalloensis)
I, ,.
"
S'2-11
long Ears 2 It."
4- 2112 ,. long
I -llb.
wt./
2
COMPARATIVE SIZES OF
OREGON RABBITS
The young are born blind, deaf, and naked and
remain so for about a week. Short fuzz begins to
appear by the second day and at one week the little
fellows are fully clothed. Cottontails begin to glimpse
daylight at about six days. The ears begin to function at about the same time. When they are about
twelve days old they venture from the nest for the
first time and leave it forever a few days later. Adult
stature and weight are attained at about five months.
A tangle of brush, a pile of slash, a den in broken
rocks or a burrow in the ground are the chief hiding
places for the cottontail. Generally, it spends most
of the day sleeping or resting and most of the night
in quest of food or at play. The cottontail often commits crop depredations on truck gardens where lettuce, peas, beans and other vegetation are favorite
foods.
All the trouble the cottontail causes fades into
insignificance in view of its value as a game animal
in the United States. The cottontail furnishes more
sport for hunters than all the big game animals
combined, with the number taken annually running
into the many millions. With few exceptions the
cottontails are typically brushland inhabitants.
EASTERN COTTONTAIL
This is the largest cottontail in Oregon weighing
from 3 to 7 pounds. It is a light brownish color
with a large white tail. It is found primarily in the
Willamette Valley.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN OR
OREGON COTTONTAIL
This cottontail is more grayish than its eastern
relative and is washed with pale yellow. It is also
smaller, seldom weighing over four pounds. I t is
found throughout the mountains and sagebrush
rangelands of eastern Oregon.
RABBIT
The brush rabbit is smaller than either the Oregon or eastern cottontail, weighing about two pounds
when full grown. This dark brownish rabbit with
brownish tail is found on the west side of the Cascades in heavy brush cover.
OREG
OTTONTAI
PYGMY RABBIT
Smallest of the cottontails, the slate-gray pygmy
rabbit is seldom more than one pound in weight.
The entire tail is a buff color. This cottontail is
found in dense sagebrush areas of southeast Oregon.
E
KA
(Ochonta)
The pika, known by mountain travelers as the
cony or rock rabbit, is one of the few mammals
rugged enough to spend its entire life in the high
mountains of the west. They are found throughout
the higher mountain areas of the Cascades and in
the mountains of eastern Oregon.
Most other animals migrate from these areas or
curl up in dens to sleep the long winter out. But
the pika makes no change in its busy schedule and
hustles about among the exposed rocks or under the
deep snow. Its chosen home is among the great
jumbles of rock of all sizes and shapes that have
sloughed from the cliff walls or mountainsides.
Unlike the rabbits, the hind legs are as short as
the forelegs. The furred feet and soles give perfect
traction as it hops from peaked rocks to sharp ridge
or slick slope.
During late summer and fall the animal is busy
harvesting crops which it stores in miniature "haystacks" under slanting rocks for curing. Many hours
are spent at this task for with the coming of winter it
will be impossible to get beyond the jumbled rocks
and food must be available if he is to survive. The
little pika works only during daylight hours. When
darkness falls he retires for the night.
The pika has few enemies for he lives in an environment where refuge is never less than a yard
away. Only the weasel and marten are capable of
pursuit into its rock passageways.
The pika, or "Little Chief" as he is often called,
is a small tailless member of the rabbit family with
short rounded ears. The buffy, reddish-brown fur
is soft and dense. Seldom does he reach more than
one-half pound in weight.