Monday 25 August 2014 Tapeti - a Cottontail friend
The Tapeti (Sylvilagus brasiliensis), otherwise known as a forest rabbit are found in countries including; Argentina, Brazil, Belize, Bolivia, Honduras, Mexico, Venezuela, Peru and Panama. When full grown, these mammals can be anywhere from 9-17 inches (22-43 cm) long. They weigh about 1.5 - 2.2 lbs (0.7 - 1 Kgs) and can live up to three years. Although males are usually a bit smaller than the females the two genders are pretty comparable. This species has very short ears, short legs and a dark body and tail. These forest rabbits are capable of breeding all year round. Luckily these forest rabbits are in the low risk category for being an endangered animal.The tapeti is very active all year round and you will usually find them hopping about. They are usually most active in the daylight hours. There have been several reports that this rabbit is capable of swimming. When parenting, the mother digs a nest about 5 inches deep and plucks off her own fur to put inside the nest to keep her young warm. The young feed off of their mother only once a day for less than five minutes. Although the mother does not go inside of the nest, she sits on top of the nest for her young to feed off of her. The male tapeti is not involved in caring for the young, but will help attack an enemy if approached.
When a predator approaches this animal it is capable of staying completely still for longer than 10 minutes if necessary. If they are approached when they are with their young then this species may attack using their nails. Fox, coyotes and large birds such as falcons, eagles and condors are predators to the tapeti. Just like any other rabbit, forest rabbits enjoy green weeds and grass. When food is scarce in the forest these animals may eat bark off of trees and small shrubs to make it through the season. In cooler countries this species may only be able to live off of bark and then would be known as a wood vegetarian. This beautiful species is greatly known for their ability to get as large as they do, and their beautiful coat that they develop as adults. You can help spreading the word about this animal by liking it on facebook
