www abdopublishing com Published by Abdo Publishing a division of ABDO PO Box 398166 Minneapolis Minnesota 55439 Copyright 2015 by Abdo Consulting Group Inc International copyrights reserved in all countries No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher Checkerboard Library is a trademark and logo of Abdo Publishing Printed in the United States of America North Mankato Minnesota 102014 012015 Cover Photos iStockphoto Interior Photos Alamy p 15 Corbis pp 20 21 Glow Images p 7 iStockphoto pp 1 11 Jim Brandenburg Minden Pictures p 7 JOEL SARTORE National Geographic Creative p 29 Justin Russo Solent News Rex Features For more information visit http www rexfeatures com stacklink CJPZNCPJD Rex Features via AP Images pp 26 27 Science Source pp 5 7 12 13 16 19 23 25 Series Coordinator Megan M Gunderson Editor Tamara L Britton Art Direction Neil Klinepier Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Petrie Kristin 1970 author Cottontail rabbits Kristin Petrie pages cm Backyard animals Audience Ages 8-12 Includes index ISBN 978-1-62403-659-0 1 Cottontails Juvenile literature 2 Rabbits Juvenile literature I Title QL737 L32P48 2015 599 32’4 dc23 2014024348
table of Contents Rabbits 4 Cottontail Rabbits 6 Habitats Homes 8 Twitchy Nose to Cottontail 10 Nibbling on Plants 14 Baby Rabbits 18 Behavior 22 Communication 24 Enemies Defenses 26 Strong Population 28 Glossary 30 Websites 31 Index 32
4 Rabbits Rabbits Some are fun lovable pets Children and adults adore their innocent eyes twitchy noses and velvety fur They can have long floppy ears and cute cottony tails Other people despise rabbits Gardeners farmers and homeowners curse these furry creatures Rabbits devour garden vegetables and profitable crops They munch on flowers shrubs and other backyard treats Pets or pests all rabbits belong to one big scientific family This is the family Leporidae The family also includes the rabbit’s relative the hare The family Leporidae is divided into more than 10 groups called genera Cottontail rabbits make up the genus Sylvilagus Welcome or not they are a common sight in many backyards in the United States Canada and beyond Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order Lagomorpha Family Leporidae Genus Sylvilagus SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION A Belgian hare is a type of rabbit A jackrabbit is a type of hare CONFUSING NAMES
5 Members of the family Leporidae are found on every continent except Antarctica
