i found some rabbit tracks.

Usually after English class, I go directly to res to eat lunch. But on Monday, January 31, I forgot my UMass Pass, so I had to walk back to my room to get it. While walking back from the freshman quad, I saw some tracks in the freshly fallen snow. At first I thought nothing of it, I often see tracks while walking to class, but then I remembered the assignment that I had received just a few hours before. I didn’t have my camera with me, so I took out my phone to take a picture.

My first instinct was that the tracks belonged to a rabbit, and upon further investigation, I found that they were undoubtedly those of a rabbit. Rabbit tracks are very distinct, having two prints in the back close together, and two in the front farther apart. These tracks were heading away from Sentential Way toward the Residential Dining Facility.

            Rabbits are very common in Massachusetts. According to Wikipedia, there are eight different kinds of rabbits. Rabbits are recognizable because of their long ears, which can grow up to 10 centimeters long. Their front paws have five toes while their more powerful hind paws have four. Rabbits are animals that are commonly preyed upon, making them always aware of movement in their environment. If threatened, a rabbit will warn others by stomping the ground, and escape in many different ways, like burrowing and hopping away in a quick zig zag pattern. If captured, they kick with their powerful hind legs, or bite with their strong teeth.

            Rabbits are notorious for their breeding habits. They can have a litter from four to twelve babies. According to Wikipedia, “a single female rabbit can produce as many as 800 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.” A female is ready to breed at about six months, and a male is ready to breed at about seven months. So it is easy to see how they obtained their reputation. Baby rabbits are born naked, and within a few days form a base coat of fur. Rabbits live approximately nine to twelve years. The European Rabbit is the most common and best-known species of rabbit, and live burrows underground. More than half of the world’s population of rabbits lives in North America, but the European Rabbit is now found all over the world, including North Dartmouth.