Run, Rabbit, Run

We humans find it hard to imagine what life would be like if we were prey. What would our resources for protection be? How would we get away from predators? What kind of senses would we develop to avoid attacks? Would we have more offspring to compensate for losses?

These questions come to mind as I wander the chaparral and see the plethora of signs left by rabbits. I see the rabbit-pruned shrubs. I find their scat everywhere. I travel their runs and find the forms where they rest. I discover their remains. It seems everywhere I go I stumble upon rabbit life. Has proliferation become their strategy for survival? How do you ensure life when you are the favorite on the menu?

Rabbits belong to the family Leporidae. Most members of this family have long hind legs and ears, cottony tails and soft fur. In North America there are eight native species of rabbits, two of which you will encounter in the Santa Monica Mountains; the brush rabbit, Sylvilagus bachmani or the desert cottontail , Sylvilagus audboni.

Both cottontails and brush rabbits are commonly seen amongst the chaparral and are similar in appearance, having pale gray to brown coats. The cottontail is generally larger. Additionally, the cottontail's ears are longer and their white tails more conspicuous. Beyond similar appearances, these animals share many survival strategies- certainly making sense, as they are eaten by snakes, owls, hawks, coyotes, mountain lions, foxes, bobcats, weasels and domestic dogs and cats.

BUNNY TALES- A rabbit's survival skills involve speed, agility and great escape techniques. Prolific reproduction ensures the survival of the species.

Rabbits usually rest during the day and are most active at dusk and dawn. Their activity consists mainly of predator avoidance and eating. It has been said that it is easier to list what a rabbit won't eat rather than all of the things it does eat. They eat grasses, flowers, shrubs, bark, domestic garden plants, alfalfa and fruit. Because of this variety, rabbits are spared the danger of having to travel to specialized feeding areas.

Staying alive

Another behavioral strategy used to compensate for extreme predation is prolific breeding. Because of Southern California's mild weather, rabbits breed nearly all year round. Each litter consists of four to five young. The mother leaves her young while she forages, covering them with leaves and grass. This behavior is thought to be protection from predators. At two weeks the young begin to leave the nest and are weaned at four to five weeks, dispersing soon after that. At five months the young weigh as much as an adult; they can breed at six months.

Most astonishing is that the mother is able to mate directly after she has given birth to a litter. Before the litter is born she releases pheromones used to attract males. Immediately after the birth she is ready to copulate. Copulation is quick and stimulates ovulation to occur approximately 10 hours later. Both males and females mate with many different partners; another strategy that ensures the highest probability for reproduction.

Quick as a bunny

Rabbits also have amazing adaptations for escaping predators. As hearing is their main sense, rabbits' large ears are adept at perceiving even the smallest disturbance. Furthermore, rabbits have amazing speed and agility. Their long back legs and large hind feet provide strength and traction, enabling them to cover huge distances quickly. While wandering the chaparral you will find signs of their well-worn trails. These trails, about four to five inches wide, appear as matteddown vegetation. To dodge a chase, rabbits will use any trail, including human, available to them.

Seemingly contradictory to their speed is the rabbit's use of stillness. Once a rabbit senses danger, it becomes motionless. Because of their excellent camouflage and this stillness, I have lost sight of an animal I was just looking directly at. It is not until I approach where I last saw the rabbit and see it flee that I realize it was made invisible by stillness. (A good strategy to remember when you are observing wildlife.)

The impermanence of their residences is another factor that helps rabbits survive. Although it is believed that they burrow, rabbits in North America spend all of their time above ground. Rather than digging dens, they snuggle down to create "forms," shallow depressions in grass or leaf duff that are approximately the size and shape of the rabbit. These forms allow for a quick getaway when danger is perceived.

I remember when I was a young child and still vulnerable to monsters. I would often plan my getaway. It was my strategy for survival. Since then I have developed other survival strategies, some that work and some that need to be adapted. Wouldn't it be nice if we as a human community evaluated our own survival strategies, keeping the ones that work and adapting the ones that don't?