Do rabbits live in holes? You might say yes if you are a fan of Alice in Wonderland. You’ll recall that she fell down a rabbit hole to start her adventure.
That’s not going to happen with our local brush rabbits (Sylvilagus bachmani). These little guys have reddish to grayish brown mottled fur, short legs, short dark ears (for a rabbit), and a small, white tail, somewhat like a cotton ball. And as the name implies, they live in dense brush, hidden from predators like coyotes and bobcats. The young live in above ground nests of grass. Like North American rabbits in general, neither adults nor young live in holes.
You will only occasionally spot these rabbits, as they are primarily nocturnal. But you can easily see a very clear sign. As the rabbits live in brush, then tend to eat most of the grass underneath. And then they venture out a short way from the protection of the brush, eating most of the grass there too. This cleared area out past the brush borders is officially known as the scurry zone.
Other signs that brush rabbits have been here recently: scat – greenish pellets that do not clump together, lays - (depressions) in grass, about the size of the rabbit, possibly with rabbit scat or hair nearby, chews – stems cut at 45 degree angles no more than “rabbit height”, rabbit tracks in a triangle, with front feet one in front of the other, and much larger hind feet side by side, in front of the front feet.
About this Preserve
2,143 Acres | 10.9 Miles of Trails
Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve offers visitors remarkable ridge vistas and trails through expansive meadows, oak woodland, and chaparral communities. Two trails are accessible to wheelchairs and baby strollers: a half-mile encircling Alpine Pond and a 1-mile trail along the shores of Horseshoe Lake; both areas offer picnic tables for your use. The David C. Daniels Nature Center, located at the edge of Alpine Pond, is open to the public on weekends, April through mid-November. Visit the preserve page for detailed information about preserve uses, accessibility, and amenities.
Hours
Sunrise to one-half hour after sunset
Congratulations to jsingewald on the FTF!