endangered animals

The Swamp rabbit is a threatened species in the southern U.S. its threatened because of the destruction of swamps and bottomlands in the southern U.S. Its scientific name is aquaticus. It looks like the eastern cottontail but has different features. It has sort rounder ears, cinnamon colored eye rings, coarse fur that’s dark grayish and yellowish brown, it has a white under body and tail, the bottom of its neck is a grayish color, and it’s larger than the eastern cottontail. The females and males are around the same size. The swamp rabbit live in states such as Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Indiana. They usually live in forested wetlands, floodplains, swamps, river bottoms, lake borders, and other lowland areas near water. The swamp rabbit eats many types of food but they are not picky eaters they eat what is available like twigs, shoots, and bark of woody species.
They are nocturnal animals and are generally solitary. They are most active at dawn. They build their nest on the ground in protected areas or in holes in logs and stumps. The nests are composed of vegetation.
The swamp rabbit has around 6 litters a year with 2&3 usually being the largest litters. The young rabbits leave their parents when they are12 to 15 days old. The swamp rabbit does not hibernate. In Indiana they are protected from hunting and in Missouri & Kentucky they are threatened.
The do damage crops. Some fact I found interesting about the swamp rabbit is that they can run 48 mph when escaping predators and they will also hide under water with just there nose sticking out from the water.

Dutch

Written by: Mrs. Nichols 8th Grade Science Class

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