The other day Jan asked:"What is this animal? It has long back legs. It has a white mark on its head. It has a light-coloured tummy. It has a dark patch under each eye. It’s just over a week old and its eyes are just starting to open".
It is a wild European rabbit. The dark patch under the eyes and the white patch on the head are common variants, just mentioned to throw folks off their guard. It is just over a week old, and it (and 4 other siblings) are being fostered by a domestic rabbit with 5 babies of her own, which are the same age.
I didn't know that European rabbits had the white spot on their heads when they get their first coat of fur.
ReplyDeleteI've seen many, many Eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) of that age, and they have all had a white mark on their heads. Although in very young rabbits, it's almost like a collie's blaze.
These are cottontails of the same age: http://volunteersforwildlife.org/i/ect-still-need-help-big.jpg
Eastern cottontails, unlike European rabbits, don't dig warrens. They give birth in hedgerows and brush piles. They are born hairless, and their first coat is black-- with that white blaze.
http://www.allcreaturesgreatandsmall.org/images/Cottontail%20in%20hand.jpg
I've handreared a few of these rabbits. However, it illegal to rehab wildlife in my state-- so I was a scofflaw. (The state has a law that requires a permit, but the state agency that gives permits won't give you one). My sister and I had one that became quite wild even after being handreared. He got loose in the basement, and we couldn't catch him. So we left the door open one evening, and he had his "born free" moment.