Swamp Rabbit
Family:
Leporidae (rabbits and hares) in the order Lagomorpha
Description:
Similar to the cottontail but has a generally larger size, proportionately shorter and rounder ears, coarser body fur with a yellowish cast (particularly to the rump) and more black mottling. The tops of hind feet are reddish brown. Overall color is dark grayish or yellowish brown above, with coarse black peppering or mottling. Underparts are white except for the chest, which is buffy gray. The back of the neck is slightly rusty.
Size:
Total length: 16–22 inches; tail length: 1½–3 inches; weight: 2½–6 pounds.
Habitat and conservation:
Swamp rabbits live in wet lowlands and along the banks of streams and drainage ditches. When pursued, the swamp rabbit usually enters the water, swimming and diving well, and often comes up under roots or other overhanging protection. They have resting forms on logs, stones or other vegetation-covered elevations projecting out of the water. They usually leave droppings on logs and stumps.
Foods:
Swamp rabbits eat many species of grasses, sedges and herbs growing in moist localities, plus succulent aquatic plants and the stems of cane. One species of sedge, Carex lupulina, is preferred by the swamp rabbits in southeast Missouri. In winter, they feed on twigs and bark of woody plants such as blackberry, hazelnut, deciduous holly and spicebush.
Distribution in Missouri:
Mississippi Lowlands of southeast Missouri.
Status:
A Species of Conservation Concern in Missouri. Its numbers have been declining due to loss of appropriate swamp habitat. Because most of our state’s southeast lowland hardwood forests and swamps have been drained and converted to row crops, the swamp rabbit will probably be confined to publicly owned and managed lands or privately owned sites where commercial timber is managed in large acreages and wetland habitat retained.
Life cycle:
Swamp rabbits breed from February through mid-July, but breeding can extend into August and September. Gestation period ranges from 35 to 40 days, and up to 5 litters are produced annually. There are usually 3–4 young per litter. The young leave the nest in their second week but continue to nurse a while longer.
Human connections:
A popular game animal in Missouri’s Bootheel region, but because of its limited range and declining numbers, it is less important than the cottontail as a game species in our state. Special restrictions apply to the bag limit for this imperiled species.
Ecosystem connections:
As with the eastern cottontail, many wild carnivores feed on rabbits, which takes the predation pressure off of other game species and livestock. Also, these herbivores convert plant matter into meat and thus form an important link in the food chain. MDC's Mission, Vision, Priorities
MDC protects and manages Missouri's fish, forest, and wildlife resources.
We also facilitate your participation in resource-management activities, and we provide opportunities for you to use, enjoy and learn about nature.
Shortened URL
http://mdc.mo.gov/node/4243
