Need identity of rabbits....

[jrbtzx12r]

Can anyone identify these little buggers? They look like Eastern Cottontails, but I didn't think they were in South Central Mass. This is the second nest I've discovered in my back yard, and they're driving the dogs nuts!

Thanks

 

[N.E. CHARTERS]

Silly Wabbitt

Mass is loaded with Conntails and thats what they look like. We have a shortage of them up here in Maine. If you dont want them. Put them in a box with air holes and mail them to me. Ill let them go in my back yard.

 

[June4th]

They look yummy! I got some recipes for you: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes/rabbit

 

[dreppucci007]

[sad2]

 

[tele_mark]

I bet they'd be great for Bass fishing!

 

[Twigg]

Definitely too small for roasters.

 

[The Village Idiot]

The identities of those rabbits are: Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo.

 

[the jeff]

they look like chipmunks

 

[The Village Idiot]

they look like chipmunks

They are mutant blind, earless bunny rabbits.

 

[Patriot]

This must be a boom year for rabbits. Normally I might see a couple over the course of a
season in my back yard. I have some every night and morning in the yard. They are
everywhere.

 

[jrbtzx12r]

This must be a boom year for rabbits. Normally I might see a couple over the course of a
season in my back yard. I have some every night and morning in the yard. They are
everywhere.

Last year I had a pair until one of the dogs snagged one. I figured that would be it, but kept seeing the other one during the winter off in the woods.

Yesterday I saw the Mom in my front yard when I arrived home. I catch her in the back yard a lot which is weird since it's fenced in, and behind my yard is all woods with a stream that runs along my property.

The weird thing is that she keeps making her nests in my yard instead of the woods. The first nest was in the old dog pen, and was found by the dogs before I could get to them, so the babies because Nestle morsels. It was a pretty nasty sight. Now she has the new nest about a month later right outside my back door that myself and the dogs constantly use to go into the back yard. Maybe the rabbits in this area are Liberal, and think nothing can hurt them while they do whatever they want.

 

[Cledus J. Crabb]

I've got a four or five of rabbits in my back yard all the time which is really strange as the coyotes use my side yard as an expressway to get to the woods out back.
CJC

 

[calsdad]

We have had rabbits in our neighborhood (well developed suburbs with some woods) since I moved in 9 years ago. The numbers fluctuate but there seems to always be at least one around. Last year I had one that was almost like a pet. I was outside a significant portion of the days working on a barn I have been building. This thing would show up the on the same schedule every single day and follow a preset path around the yard eating the weeds.

The darn thing was almost tame - more than once it came with just a few feet of me and did not seem concerned one bit about my presence. I even had the thing jump up on a pile of lumber and sit there and watch me while I was cutting rafters. Weird.

 

[Patriot]

We have had rabbits in our neighborhood (well developed suburbs with some woods) since I moved in 9 years ago. The numbers fluctuate but there seems to always be at least one around. Last year I had one that was almost like a pet. I was outside a significant portion of the days working on a barn I have been building. This thing would show up the on the same schedule every single day and follow a preset path around the yard eating the weeds.

The darn thing was almost tame - more than once it came with just a few feet of me and did not seem concerned one bit about my presence. I even had the thing jump up on a pile of lumber and sit there and watch me while I was cutting rafters. Weird.

It was sizing you up for lunch!

 

[stixnstones]

Easterns or New Englands

We have eastern and new england cottontails in MA. I think the NEs are slightly smaller. The islands have jackrabbits, I'm told. Dukes & Nantucket have seasons on them I think. I don't have the regs in front of me.

masswildlife.com has some information on these two types.

Maybe they're a crossbreed with some feral rabbit?

 

[jrbtzx12r]

We have eastern and new england cottontails in MA. I think the NEs are slightly smaller. The islands have jackrabbits, I'm told. Dukes & Nantucket have seasons on them I think. I don't have the regs in front of me.

masswildlife.com has some information on these two types.

Maybe they're a crossbreed with some feral rabbit?

I haven't seen any other types of rabbit around, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. These little guys look like NEs with the white stripe on the top of their heads. They finally opened their eyes Friday. I'll try to get some more picks if the weather gets a little better around here.

 

[Plural of Mongoose]

We have eastern and new england cottontails in MA. I think the NEs are slightly smaller. The islands have jackrabbits, I'm told. Dukes & Nantucket have seasons on them I think. I don't have the regs in front of me.

masswildlife.com has some information on these two types.

Maybe they're a crossbreed with some feral rabbit?

Hmmm. I have been on this Island for close to 30 years now and have never seen a jackrabbit. I think jacks may be a sort of local urban legend around here.
Im in the woods pretty much all fall hunting one thing or another and have yet to see a definite jackrabbit.
Ive seen a couple hares during deer season, because they are white during winter and stand out in the woods. Ive seen crosses with domestic rabbits. Heck, I saw a black rabbit with white feet running down the road the other night in Madaket, on the west end.
Apparently there were jacks on island at one time but I think they have gone the way of the dodo on Nantucket, for whatever reason.
This year is a really good year for cottontails. I have rabbits all over my yard. Big ones, little ones, everywhere.
The damn dog is just about splitting herself in two chasing them .

 

[jrbtzx12r]

Well so much for pics. The dogs just got to the nest while I stepped back into the garage to empty the tumbler. I know one was eaten, one is wounded and probably won't make it, one got away, and one is MIA.

After I put the dogs back in the house Mom came running over to me as I had the wounded one in a box with the healthy. I put the healthy one on the ground, and turned to get the wounded one. Healthy one disappeared in a flash. I have no clue where it went. Searched high and low. Mom took off again, so the wounded one is in the nest. Beats the heck out of me where the healthy one is, but I'm not letting the dogs back out for several hours now.

 

[tuna]

Be careful, they've got HUGE teeth! Just ask, Tim, the sorcerer...

 

[mg42doc]

RUN AWAY!!!!!!

 

[jrbtzx12r]

Well the little ones don't bite at all. They just SCREAM like mad. Never pick one up and have it scream with a 125lb German Shepard & a 85lb Akita within 20ft of you. They forget ALL training!

We're down to one left that I know of right now. One was eaten when they found the nest, and the wounded one became a scooby snack last night (still have one MIA). Apparently he was feeling better, and went to Mom to feed. Unfortunately that was when I let the dogs out. No amount of force was getting the Akita's mouth open, and I tried. Mom even came to help when she heard the screams. BAD MOVE! The GS went in chase, but I don't think he got to nip her.

So this morning I find what appears to be a bird of prey feather in the back yard. I have a feeling Mom may no longer be with us as tonight I found the baby in the back yard hiding. Luckily the dogs mixed up on the scent trail (well a little herding from me helped when I saw him). So I have a feeling the little one will eventually get it in my back yard when I let my guard down, and don't see him.

Since NE Cottontails are pretty abundant, I guess it's not that bad they're getting nailed left and right in my back yard. If they were New England one's, then I'd be in trouble as it looks like they're almost on the endangered list.

The story continues.

 

[jrbtzx12r]

And the story continues so soon.... Go to let the dogs out a bit ago, and peek thru the door. There's Mom (guess that answers whether or not she's alive) on the brick patio. Bang on the door, and she takes off. Let the dogs out, but look over where she was, and there's the baby. Dogs are interested in scents somewhere else (Thanks God!). Go to try to snag the little bugger, and he's getting FAST. He makes it around me, and across the brick to the big rock (3 ft high, and 10 feet wide). Scales it, and hit the grass. Both dogs are in chase now. Ever see a human tackle two dogs at once? Well you would've tonight! Took them both out at once right when they were on him. Little brat ran into the dog pen where I closed the door with the dogs on the outside. Talk about a paradox. LoL! The baby lives another night!