What is the riparian brush rabbit?
The riparian brush rabbit is a small to medium sized cottontail whose back and sides are covered with dark brown and gray fur. Their bellies are white. These rabbits can reach a length of 13 inches and weigh almost 2 pounds. The riparian brush rabbit is among 13 subspecies of brush rabbits, 8 of which are found in California. A small tail and long, uniformly-colored ears help distinguish it from other subspecies. Unlike other cottontails that may breed year round, the female riparian brush rabbit only breeds 5 months of the year–between January and May. The riparian brush rabbit carries her young for close to 30 days and gives birth to 3-4 babies in each litter. She may have 3-4 litters a year, and produce roughly 9-16 young annually. The baby rabbits begin their lives in shallow burrows lined with grasses and fur, covered by a plug of dried vegetation. By the age of 5 months they are sufficiently mature to leave the burrow. Unfortunately, 5 out of 6 brush rabbits typically do not sur
