There is a special story or "tale" to tell you about our La Habra Heights rabbit. Rabbits are sometimes also called "hares." (This is spelled differently than "hairs.") And they have a third name: "Coney." Coney Island in New York probably had a lot of rabbits at one time.
Hares have a small white tail not "tale" that is called a "scut." This is the part of the animal we see most of the time as he scurries off the side of the road dodging our cars and bicycles. Have you ever seen a rabbit stand on its hind legs and then sit comfortably on its tail while he looks around? The furry scut acts as a cushion for sitting. Wouldn't it be nice to have a soft cushion to sit on during long school days or when we are telling tales to our friends?
When hares are running from their enemies, they confuse them by darting from side to side as they run. Their bouncing, fluffy tails can easily be seen by other rabbits. This warns them that there is danger nearby. They are fast runners and often escape before they are caught. When a rabbit is frightened, it stamps its back foot hard on the ground, sending a "Thump! Thump!" danger signal to others so that they can quickly run to safety. (Yep! that's where "Thumper" got his name.)
Rabbits are nocturnal. This means they are active at night time. The best time to watch them is in the early evening. In the light of the moon, the mother rabbit's white scut helps her little kittens see each other so that they can huddle together for safety.
Did I say "kittens?" Yes, not only baby cats but also baby rabbits are called kittens! Mother rabbit is called a "doe" and father is called a "buck." These are the same names that deer have when they are parents, but the children of deer aren't called kittens. They are called "fawns." This is all very confusing in the animal kingdom! A rabbit doe can have as many as 20 kittens. But a deer doe will only have a few fawns. Let's draw a diagram with all these names. Try to see what is the same and what is different in the chart below:
Animal Names Parent Names Offspring
Rabbit or Hare Buck (father)
Doe (mother)
Kittens
Cat Tom (father)
Queen (mother)
Kittens
Deer Buck (father)
Doe (mother)
Fawns
Next time you go walking in the Heights, look for the hares scurrying
away, their scuts shaking behind them. And listen for the thump, thump,
thump ...