Lagomorphs

Lagomorph is the common name for a group of mammals characterized by an additional pair of teeth located behind their ever-growing upper incisors. Before the 1900s, lagomorphs were thought to be a subdivision of the rodent order. However, it is now thought that lagomorphs resemble rodents because of the similar demands of their environments, rather than because of a close genetic relationship. Their diet is entirely vegetarian and includes grass, buds, twigs, and leaves of trees and weeds.

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit
Sylvilagus floridanus

Habitat:
Open lands bordered by thickets and brushy areas with ground burrows and holes.
Adult weight:
2 - 4 lbs.
Adult body length:
14 1/4 - 16 3/8 inches
Breeding period:
February - September
Litters per year:
2- 5
Litter size:
2 - 10 young
Life expectancy:
average less than 1 year
Typical foods:
Wide variety of plants such as clover, dandelion, plantain, and ragweed. Winter foods include ear corn, dry hay, and bark of tree saplings, raspberry, and multiflora rose.


Image from Ohio History Central

 

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This Page Created By:  Dennis Churchill and Zach Nycz
Last updated: July 17, 2002
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