Thursday, March 3, 2016

Back in the Bunny Zone - Part 2

July to October at the pygmy rabbit warren saw one minor change.

pygmy rabbit
Adult pygmy rabbit, Brachylagus idahoensis, at Mono County warren

In mid July, this micro character popped out of the burrow and started hanging around.

juvenile pygmy rabbit
Juvenile pygmy rabbit at burrow entrance - a pygmy pygmy!

juvenile pygmy rabbit

juvenile pygmy rabbit

My inspection of the details suggests all the photos captured are of a single individual. Pygmy rabbits can have 6+ young per litter, so only seeing 1 in a reasonably good season is interesting.

juvenile pygmy rabbit
Awwww... 

Much like the parents, juvie quickly learned to enjoy lazing about in the warmth of the sun.

juvenile pygmy rabbit
Juvenile pygmy rabbit napping in morning sun

juvenile pygmy rabbit

Aside from the addition of the juvenile, the on-camera bunny interactions at the burrow in July-October were generally status-quo.

pair of pygmy rabbits
Pair of pygmy rabbits at burrow (dad and mom, I think)

But on occasion, did get a bit frisky.

pair of pygmy rabbits
Pygmy rabbits dancing in the dark

The rabs also inspected the camera every-so-often.

And/or nibbled the sagebrush the cam was nestled in.

pygmy rabbit ear
Pygmy rabbit inspecting cam trap

No dust bathing was caught on cam this season. Perhaps the bunnies chose to do it elsewhere, or maybe there wasn't the same seasonal demand with the mild, moist, sagebrush-rich summer.

But the pygmies did often hang out and groom.

pygmy rabbit grooming

pygmy rabbit grooming

pygmy rabbit grooming pygmy rabbit grooming

pygmy rabbit grooming

pygmy rabbit grooming

pygmy rabbit grooming

Handsome little dude. Scars, nicks and molting marks included.

pygmy rabbit
Adult pygmy rabbit at end of September

Next up - all the other species that visited this pygmy rabbitat in 2015.

Btw - if you enjoy the pygmies, I highly recommend this Nature Conservancy article on the endangered Columbia Basin population of pygmy rabbits. The photos are terrific and the re-introduction science fascinating.

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5 comments:

  1. tantalizing photos--I sooooo want to "laze about in the warmth of the sun"! But have to wait a few more months

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  2. Just found your blog. Great photos!! What kind of camera do you use?

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    1. Thanks Janet. I use Bushnell/Moultrie/Reconyx trail cams, but most of my camera traps are homemade, combining a motion-sensing controller card with hacked Sony, Pentax and Panasonic pocket point-and-shoot cameras. The wide angle lenses and auto-focusing give a solid step up in quality from the trail cams.

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    2. That's great - we are working on a homemade camera now. Can't wait to see what it does. Thanks for responding!

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  3. It's always good for my soul to see those creatures, doubly so their tiny babies. Amazing photos, as ever. =)

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