Swamp rabbit

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Swamp rabbit[1]
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Lagomorpha
Family: Leporidae
Genus: Sylvilagus
Species: S. aquaticus
Binomial name
Sylvilagus aquaticus
(Bachman, 1837)
Swamp rabbit range

The swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus), or swamp hare,[3] is a large cottontail rabbit found in the swamps and wetlands of the Southern United States.

Appearance

S. aquaticus is similar in appearance to other cottontails, although it is among the largest members of the genus. It is generally brown, with the bottom of its stubby tail colored white. Adult male and female specimens of this species weigh between 3 and 6 pounds (1.4 and 2.7 kg). In lagomorphs, the female is commonly larger than the male.[citation needed]

Diet and nesting habits

The swamp rabbit eats reeds, plants, and grasses native to its marshy habitat. The swamp rabbit nests above ground in small dens made of dead plants and lined with its shed fur. When fleeing a predator, such as the American Alligator, the swamp rabbit can run over 45 mph (72 km/h), usually in an evasive zig-zag pattern.[citation needed]

S. aquaticus is a skilled swimmer, often crossing streams, ponds, and rivers. The semiaquatic cottontail will occasionally hide from natural enemies by sitting still in shallow water, exposing only its nose to the air to breathe.[citation needed]

This rabbit leaves characteristic pellet-like droppings atop moss-covered fallen logs throughout its territory.[citation needed]

Carter incident

Main article: Jimmy Carter rabbit incident

In 1979, the swamp rabbit species enjoyed a brief stint of notoriety when one swamp rabbit had a close encounter with Jimmy Carter. In April of that year, as President Carter was fishing on a small pond on his farm, a visibly agitated swamp rabbit approached his boat and tried to board. Carter used a paddle to splash water at the rabbit to dissuade it from swimming towards the boat. The press dubbed this the "Killer Rabbit", in honor of the violent rabbit in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.[citation needed]

President Jimmy Carter's encounter with a swamp rabbit

Zooming in on the rabbit swimming away from the President

References

  1. ↑ Hoffman, R. S.; Smith, A. T. (2005). "Order Lagomorpha". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 207–8. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. 
  2. ↑ Smith, A.T. & Boyer, A.F. (2008). "Sylvilagus aquaticus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 1 February 2010. 
  3. ↑  "Swamp Hare". New International Encyclopedia. 1905. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sylvilagus aquaticus.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.