Rabbits.

Rabbits. You might think that rabbits are cute and cuddly animals. But farmers and ranchers think that rabbits and their relatives, the hares, are pests. Rabbits and hares do look cute. But rabbits and hares also eat farm crops. They have big front teeth for gnawing on plants. HOW ARE RABBITS AND HARES DIFFERENT? Hares and rabbits are easy to mix up. Hares are a lot like rabbits. Both animals have big ears and short, fluffy tails. They move by hopping. Hares are usually bigger than rabbits. Hares have longer ears and black markings on their fur. Another difference between rabbits and hares is how the young animals look when they are born. Newborn rabbits do not have any fur. They are born with their eyes closed. Newborn hares have fur. They are born with their eyes open. Most rabbits dig underground burrows. They live together in groups in the burrows. The cottontail is the only rabbit that builds a nest on the ground. Hares live in simple nests above ground. They usually do not live together in groups. WILD RABBITS AND HARES The cottontail is the main wild rabbit in North America. It has a short, white tail that looks like a ball of cotton. The cottontail stays perfectly still if it thinks an enemy is nearby. It can also swim away from danger. The snowshoe hare also lives in North America. Its fur changes color with the seasons. In winter, the hare's coat is pure white and blends in with snow. Only the tips of the hare's ears are black. In summer, the hare's coat is reddish-brown, like the color of the ground. The jackrabbit is really a hare. Jackrabbits live in the Midwest and West. They move faster than any other rabbits or hares. Jackrabbits can jump as far as 20 feet (6 meters) in a single hop. They can move as fast as 45 miles per hour (70 kilometers per hour). RABBITS AND HARES AS PETS Some tame rabbits make good pets. People also raise rabbits for fur and meat. Rabbits and hares that people raise are called domestic rabbits. Today, there are more than 60 kinds of domestic rabbits and hares. Domestic rabbits come in all kinds of colors. Some of them have short, stiff ears. Some of them have long, floppy ears. They can have short fur or long fur. The Angora rabbit has long, soft fur. Angora fur is used to make coats and sweaters. HOW ARE RABBITS AND HARES A PROBLEM? Rabbits and hares reproduce very rapidly. A mother could have four to eight litters of babies each year. There are three to eight bunnies in each litter. A few rabbits quickly become many rabbits. Rabbits are a big problem in fields and gardens. They eat plants that farm animals need for food. They nibble on fruits and flowers. They chew bark off trees. Farmers and ranchers think there are too many wild rabbits and hares. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.