Vigorous Jack Rabbit Sex

   This afternoon out of the corner of my eye , I noticed two Jack Rabbits racing down my street. I have never seen them chasing each other. I had to go to another window because they went out of my vision. When I saw them one was up on my neighbor's planter and the second rabbit was making mad attempts to get on the planter as well. It was kind of funny when he fell off a couple of times. He finally got up on the planter and then I found out what was going on. A male was chasing a female in an attempt to mate. He mounted the female on the planter but just as fast, she took off and he had a surprised look on his face.

    The  female gained a few hops in the chase and then they chased around my neighbor's spruce tree which has boughs touching the ground. The two rabbits chased around and around the tree and through the branches. Next the female made a break to cross the street. The male took a leap with out stretched front paws and missed and almost did a forward roll. The female gained a couple of leaps and then stopped. The male harassed her and she ran off again and they ran around  a neighbor's juniper the same as the spruce tree. 

    Finally the female ran through my neighbor's yard and I lost sight of them.

    Since we have so many jack rabbits in the area I have seen mating before. Usually it's two or three bucks fighting with one another over the female. The bucks also follow the female just before she gives birth as she will breed right away. 

    So things can happen very quickly in the space of two minutes.

A Jack Rabbit named Son of a Bitch

     I recently posted about a Jack rabbit that leisurely groomed itself in my back yard. It was interesting to watch and I learned a few things. My back yard was quiet, safe and in the shade.


    Two days later another rabbit visited my back yard. This could have been the same animal or his brother , sister, mom, dad or any other relative. The rabbit was well behaved and grazed on my grass and quietly left.


    In another three days I found a rabbit in the back yard and he politely left. About an hour later I looked out and a rabbit was parked in my vegetable garden with bean plant hanging out of his mouth. This fellow was shooed out of the yard very quickly. I went out later and discovered that my sparse lettuce crop had been grazed fairly close to the ground. That's when the poor jack rabbit received the name of son of a bitch. 


    Jack rabbits are opportunists and when they find something that is really good they help themselves to it. My lettuce crop was probably first class pickings .

Jack Rabbit Grooming

       Last night  a  jack rabbit sat  for half an hour going through its grooming routine. It didn't hurt either that the said rabbit sat right under the computer room window.

Duane Christianson caught this fellow  taking advantage of the sprinkler.

      First, there was the standard face and whisker wash. Most people have seen this activity as the paws are licked and rubbed over the face. This activity can go on for some time with a few rests and checking the territory for danger.


     Second, the ears were washed . I had never seen this before. The head was lowered and the big back foot stepped on the ear and held it on the ground. the front paw was licked and groomed the eared. This was done at least half a dozen times but only the right ear. 


     Third, the genitalia were attended to. This area was licked and thoroughly cleaned. 


     There have been jack rabbits in many areas of Red Deer for about ten years. This year they seem to be multiplying rapidly. 

Duane Christianson caught this little guy at a few days old in early September.

    After these strenuous washes it was time for a snooze. When I next checked the rabbit was in my garden about to attack my Swiss chard. That's when I politely said ,"Would you please leave the facility."


    So I had seen the first grooming activity but the second two were firsts.


    If anybody else has seen some grooming activity let us know.

Jack Rabbits Turning Brown

    The Jack Rabbit in my area are half changed to the summer brown. I saw one last evening as he was sitting in a grassy area. He was still quite obvious because there was still quite a lot of white showing. The time is soon coming(I hope) when the snow is gone. If you're a Jack rabbit you don't want to be caught with a white coat when the snow is gone.

We'll soon see these little guys

     For me the changing of the rabbit's color is always a definite signal of the season changing. Other creatures are much less noticeable. The weasel changes but we rarely see them so they do not have such a big influence on us. So another winter is officially over once the Jack Rabbit has changed to the summer brown.

The regular summer Jack Rabbit color. I wonder how many Jack Rabbit have learned this trick?

Jack Rabbit Accepts Carrots for Food.

       I was not aware that jack rabbits ate carrots. I thought it was only Peter Rabbit or Bugs Bunny who ate carrots! I have had jack rabbits clean up some of my garden and perennials .

REmains of carrot in snow beside jack rabbit tracks

       This year I had many carrots that were damaged by slugs. I put them in my front yard and wondered if the jack rabbits would eat them. Sure enough! In a few days the carrots I put out had disappeared. I didn't see any jack rabbits eat the carrots but there are many of them in my neighborhood. Jack rabbits cross my yard every other day and probably more often than that as the are active at night.

Jack rabbit under cover

      So for all those damaged carrots there is a good way to dispose of them. Put them out for the jack rabbits.