Rabbit Facts.

The rabbit family (Leporidae) includes both rabbits and hares.

Rabbits differ from hares in size (they are smaller) and nesting habits. They are small, furry, gnawing, burrowing mammals with long ears and short tails. They can run fast, taking great leaps with their long, powerful hind legs.They eat seeds and grasses. Newborn rabbit babies are blind, helpless and have no fur.

The brown cottontail rabbit is common throughout North America. It is easily identified by the white underside of its tail. It is a small rabbit, weighing about 2 or 3 pounds (.9 to 1.4 kilograms). Cottontails eat tender green plants and usually feed in the early morning or late afternoon. They spend most of the day under protective cover. The mother builds the nest in a shallow hole in the ground, lining it with bits of its fur. Several litters of two to six babies may be born in the spring and summer.

Rabbits are found in most parts of the world. Farmers and gardners consider them a serious pest.