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Home > Coniferous Forest Animals > Brush Rabbit

Brush Rabbit

Brush rabbits are North American species and they are solitary by nature. Because of their agility and apparent timid behavior the species is a prominent name in the pet trade.

Brush Rabbit

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Lagomorpha
Family Leporidae
Genus Sylvilagus
Scientific Name Sylvilagus bachmani

Quick Information

Also Known as Californian brush rabbit, western brush rabbit
Description Size: 10-14 in (25.4 -36 cm)

Weight: 17-32 oz (0.48-0.9 kg)

Color: Light brownish to grey pelage except for the underside which is white, the less prominent tail is brown on the upper side and whitish grey underneath

Distribution Along the Columbia River, Baja California Peninsula, Cascade Mountain ranges and the eastern Sierra Nevada
Habitat Brushy areas
Subspecies
  • S. b. ubericolor
  • S. b. cinerascens
  • S. b. bachmani
  • S. b. exiguous
  • S. b. howelli
  • S. b. cerrosensis
  • S. b. riparius
Sounds & Calls Emits a high-pitched sound similar to cry when feels threatened.
Lifespan Around 5 years
Diet Plant materials
Adaptations
  • Their body color helps them camouflage in the brushy zones while escaping from predators
  • Their two eyes on two sides help them have a 360° vision for detecting potential threats
Predators Mountain lions, foxes, snakes, bobcats, birds of prey
IUCN Conservation Status Least Concern

Western Brush Rabbit

California Brush Rabbit

Behavior

  • Brush rabbits are always cautious about predators and prefer to use underground ways for locomotion, but they can climb trees whenever required.
  • These rabbits are crepuscular meaning they are mostly active during the twilight and may be out till the early morning.
  • They thump the ground with their feet when scared.
  • While escaping from the clutch of predators they run in a manner similar to a zigzag pattern. They are capable of doing this for 20-15 miles at a stretch within an hour.

Mating and Reproduction

The breeding season of brush rabbits belonging to California is December to June While for the rabbits of Oregon the season is from February to August.

Baby Brush Rabbit

Brush Rabbit Pictures

Life-cycle

After a gestation period of around 27 days, females give birth to 4-5 young rabbits. Babies feed on their mother’s milk at night and after 4-5 months they attain sexual maturity.

Brush Rabbit Facts

Brush Rabbit Habitat

Interesting Fact

  • It has 13 subspecies which has reduced to numbers and the previous classifications are considered as its synonyms.

References

  1. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sylvilagus_bachmani/#food_habits
  2. http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/rabbits_hares_pikas/brush_rabbit.html
  3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/brush-rabbit
  4. https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Sylvilagus_bachmani
  5. http://elelur.com/mammals/brush-rabbit.html

Published on December 27th 2018 by Sahana Kanjilal under Coniferous Forest Animals.
Article was last reviewed on 2nd December 2022.

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