Lymie, I will share a story about cottontails and kits from our experience. June 2005.
I watched a cottontail we called "Hutch Beeler" give birth from an upstairs window in our house. We often found dugouts in the grass from nesting attempts or abandonded nests that predators would find. I watched Hutch Beeler come discreetly to the nest hollow early one a.m., stay fixed at the grassy spot, and then leap away to groom "clean" herself, as a 2nd cottontail (wanna bet it was a male?) was merely yards away... They are self-ovulators and can become pregnant moments after giving birth. She built her nest right in the Front Yard !!!
My husband and I would watch for mom cottontail to return to the nest each evening to nurse. My husband would make sure the grass was slightly higher around the nest when he mowed the lawn for the first week. We also knew how many babies were in the nest. At one point, we placed a tri-folded lawn chair over the nest with enough room for mom e/c to get underneath. The wildlife center would instruct callers to take certain measures as they preferred not to get an overload of cottontails when truly the kits weren't orphaned. When a Mom Rabbit is Hit By Vehicle or in pieces from a predator and left laying in the yard, then it's obvious there's a nest of orphans.
One June day, a vagrant unsupervised boxer dog from the neighbor's house had come to sniff in our front yard, getting closer to the nest. He got shooshed away via my hasty orders. Our property has plenty of nocturnal visitors which will also eat and destroy cottontails.
- On day 13 right after we observed Mom nursing from our front door and windows, an unforgettable moment took place. My hubby and I watched the young e/c's scamper !-as best they could-! from the nest hollow in our front yard to the arborvitae cove.
* What an amazing sight to witness * :shock:
Mom communicates to the young babes to stay calm and remain in the nest, not move, until a certain age. This helps them stay concealed from crows and overhead predators that eat them.
- My husband and I counted "heads" as they tried out those new legs.
The strongest agouti hoppers leaving the hollow in the front yard first, to head to the brushy haven. With Mom's instructions (we couldn't hear her quietly communicate that), dash like the dickens to the COVE, "same place I'm going to run to and be at." We watched from our front door ... :highfive:
...As the last one scampered to the safer area, a Cooper's Hawk swooped down.
- It was a manuerving situation b/c the hawk had to tend with pine branches in order to grasp the young cottontail. We saw the talons extended upon it's glide. Mom Cottontail confronted the Cooper's Hawk and lunged. Our lab/retriever dog went out after the hawk at this point. We had instructed our dog to stay away from the nest in the time the babies were growing up.
What an amazing experience it was to witness & chronicle Hutch Beeler's visits, both in their nest and after the tribe relocated to the arborvitae area. Was neat to see them scamper toward the traveling milk supply (hurray, Mom's Here) b/c mom wisely stayed away not to attract predators. They'd flip on their backs and grab a milk jug as mom maintained her position underneath the arborvitae. Sometimes Mom e/c had that look on her face, "OK, I'm starting to feel your teeth and You guys are gettin' big." What a devoted mom. We watched through binoculars. Around 2 1/2+ weeks mom came back less often as she knew they were old enough to be on their own. And as Randy noted, probably had the next batch ready to be born.
* * *
Cottontails have taught us lots, and that's how I became a Domestic rabbit mom.
Sorry to get off OT yet I thought those interested in wildlife and reading the thread would gain insight or a smile from the notes. Thanks,
tonyshuman, for mentioning my experience with rehabilitating cottontails.
Not all humans have the patience to care for cottontail juveys - and their weaning is a delicate procedure if they haven't obtained the right immunities and gut flora from mom's colostrum. Yet it can be accomplished in experienced hands, and losses occur...
^ A single cottontail survived from the litter born in our front yard. ^ The Scamper Story above!
She lived 5 1/2 years on our property, in the neighborhood. Most e/cs won't live 'til age 6 months, or ever leave the nest alive!! Survival rate is low. Their peaceful presence and beauty is missed so much in our yard.
