LAGOMORPHS
WEIGHT: Just under 1 lb. to about 15 lbs.
LENGTH: 9-28 in.
Lagomorphs are divided into two families—rabbits and hares (45 species) and picas (15 species).
DESCRIPTION: Lagomorphs have a short tail that is bushy and not usually visible externally. The mouth has 26-28 teeth. Bucks are usually slightly larger than does. Ears are generally funnel-shaped. Hind legs are long.
RANGE/HABITAT: True hares are the most widely distributed and most diverse of the living lagomorphs. No lagomorphs are found in Antarctica, Madagascar and parts of Indonesia and southern South America. They have been introduced into Australia and New Zealand. Lagomorphs generally live in grasslands or open woodlands.
ADAPTATIONS: Feet are never used for holding as rodents, but are instead used for defense or attack. Soles of feet are covered with fur. Front teeth grow continuously throughout lifetime—about 4 inches/year. When chewing, jaws move side-to-side, not up and down. Nostrils are also covered with a layer of fur. Hearing is very well developed. Lagomorphs have a keen sense of smell. Eyes are large and placed on the sides of the head. Glands under the chin produce a secretion used to mark territory. Sometimes lagomorphs are seen rubbing each other with the chin glands, probably as a means of recognition. Only a few species use vocalizations to any extent. Usual alarm is thumping or screaming. Some species are solitary while others are gregarious. Usually nocturnal or crepuscular.
COURTSHIP/GESTATION/BIRTH: Generally polygamous with one buck and several does. Gestation is about 28 days. The doe makes a bed for her young with grasses and fur stripped from her under parts. Birth weight is 1-1¼ oz. Young are born naked, blind and helpless. Youngsters open eyes at about 10 days. Will eat solid foods at about 16 days and will be weaned about 30 days. The doe will defend her young. Sexual maturity is at about three to four months.
PREY/PREDATOR: Predators include weasel family, rats, owls, ravens/crows, gulls, hawks, badgers, foxes.
DIET: Mainly grasses. Will eat bark.
STATUS: Used for food (including recreational hunting), fur, pelts, laboratory experiments. Viewed as pests since can damage crops and are competitors for grazing land.
Some species are threatened or endangered i.e. the pygmy or little Idaho rabbit.
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