Author Archives: colliek2

Brush Rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani)

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Have you ever seen a rabbit climb a tree? 
Somehow seeing a bunny in a tree just seems out of place.

Brush Rabbit (courtesy ODFW)

Identifying

Brush rabbits are one of the smaller rabbit species with short legs and gray tail, and long ears. They are dark brownish gray with a pale gray belly. Adults measure around a foot in length and weight up to two pounds.  

In some parts of Oregon, the Brush Rabbit and the introduced Eastern Cottontail have interbred. The resulting hybrid is small like the Brush Rabbit and has a white cottontail of the Eastern.  

Range

Brush Rabbits are found along the Pacific coast from Washington south through Baja California, Mexico. They are also found in the Willamette Valley and coastal stream valleys up to the Cascade Range.

Habitat

Typically, Brush Rabbits stay very close to home and make their home in extremely dense brush. They clear runways in the brush for feeding, quick escapes, and snacking in our gardens.

Food Sources

Normally, these animals are solitary but have been known to become gregarious when foraging. Probably when they are having fun eating my azaleas to the ground.

In summer, the rabbits love to eat green clover. They also eat grasses, flowers, weeds, blackberries, wild roses, tree saplings, and farm and garden crops.

In winter, their diet will shift to more twiggy materials and practically any green plant especially ground hugging shrubs. They will devour plants like Gumpo Satsuki azaleas and miniature blueberries almost overnight.

Not sure it was a rabbit? Rabbits make a 45 degree cut with their incisors; deer and elk just twist and rip.

Rabbits and hares will pass soft pellets of undigested vegetation (called coprophagy). They will later re-ingest these nutritional pellets to meet their nutritional requirements.

Nests

Nests created by the females are typically located in brushy areas such as fencerows, edge habitat, brush or rock piles, and other areas with suitable cover. The nest would resemble a shallow bowl-lined with grass, leaves, and her belly fur.   

Once the kits are born, the mother will avoid the nest for two weeks and return only at dusk and dawn to nurse and care for her young. This behavior helps hide the young from predators.

Predators

Brush Rabbits are always cautious around predators and will often use underground or brush tunnels rather than crossing open ground. They use a couple of different techniques to foil predators which include:

  • Sitting absolutely still for long periods of time.
  • Running in a wild zigzag pattern. They are able to run 15-20 miles an hour in one stretch.
  • Rabbits will emit a high-pitch sound similar to a cry when it feels threatened.

Predators include: Bobcats, cougars, domestic dogs/cats, coyotes, shunks, snakes, weasels, fox, mink, and a variety of raptors (particularly hawks and owls). They are also vulnerable around vehicles, mowers, weed-wackers, and habitat changes.

Population

Quick like a rabbit. These polygynous breeders can produce over 15 young each year with multiple litters. The average litter size in Oregon is 2.8.  

Brush Rabbit populations in Oregon are not threatened. Many species here are considered game animals. Check with the Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife for harvest regulations.

Cute Stuff

Did you know that rabbits purr when they are content? The purr may sound like teeth lightly chattering, but just as sweet as a kitten.

They also have a way of expressing joy called ‘binky.’ They will run and jump, twisting their body, and flicking their feet. Something like a whirling leap for joy. Most likely brought on by eating small and expensive ornamental shrubs…well maybe…

Not so Cute stuff

Rabbits gnaw a number of things from bark on young trees to small diameter plastic irrigation lines. Plants and irrigation lines are difficult to protect from the rabbits once they get started. There are several ideas for living with rabbits (and discouraging them) on State Fish and Wildlife websites.

Disease

This spring biologists found a fatal hemorrhagic disease spreading through wild and domestic rabbit populations in California. The disease does not affect humans or other animals.  Be sure to report any dead or weird acting rabbits to your local Fish and Wildlife office.

Rabbits and several other related animals can be infected with a bacterial tularemia, rabbit fever, which can be passed to humans through undercooked meat or handling meat. Wear rubber gloves and wash hands well to avoid problems.

So, will a Brush Rabbit climb a tree? Yes, if they are hungry or need a predator escape, and if the trunk is sloped. Who knew?  

REFERENCES:
–Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Brush Rabbits (https://myodfw.com/wildlife-viewing/species/pikas-rabbits-and-hares)
–Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Rabbits (https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/living/species-facts/rabbits)
–Wildlife Organization, Deadly disease found in California rabbits for first time, May 2020   (https://wildlife.org/deadly-disease-found-in-california-rabbits-for-first-time)
–Wikipedia, Brush Rabbits (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brush_rabbit)

Common Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

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Make like a raccoon

Raccoon, courtesy of ODFW.

Wash your hands. Wear your mask.
Be a bit mischievous and very curious.
Try to avoid being a nuisance and trickster, and
Culture a woeful “I really am cute” look.

You may have had one of these critters in your back deck, looking for treats. We had a family of five. Cute, but not cute enough to feed.

Raccoons can be large with a length up to 28-inches and weigh nearly 60 lbs. The most distinctive features are the ringed tail, facial mask, and front paws.

A dense underfur protects the raccoon against cold weather. The hind legs are longer than the front, giving the animal a high rump walking gait.

Habitat

Raccoons look for permanent water resources and large trees and can live almost anywhere in Oregon where those two elements are found. Some of your neighbors may claim that there are more Raccoons in the neighborhood than human residents.

They will often den in a hollowed-out tree. But they will also den in storage buildings, basements, attics, chimneys, and more.

Needless to say, they have adapted well to human settlements and are known for creating a fair amount of damage. Around 1,500 raccoons were imported as pets each year in Japan after the wild success of “Rascal the Raccoon” in 1977. It is estimated that these ‘pets’ caused over 30 million yen of agricultural damage on Hokkaido alone.

Raccoon in bird feeder (royalty free Unsplash)

Foraging

Raccoons have extremely dexterous front paws and long fingers that help them unscrew jars, uncork bottles, open door latches and knobs, and even complex locks.

These furry mammals forage night—it makes it easier to get into a garbage can unseen. They will also raid bird feeders, eat seemingly abandoned pet food, downed fruit and veggies, and more.

Aquatic foods are, however, their favorite. They prefer to eat invertebrates, but will eat plants, vertebrates, and stale dog food any day.

When foraging in streams, they will pick up a potential food item, examine it, and rub off unwanted parts in the water. It looks like they are washing their food (they are not).

But they are cute

Raccoons are generally not pets. With good reason. They can and frequently will create a great deal of problems if one starts feeding or housing them.

They are moody, carry a grudge, and remember details. Their emotional outbursts can lead to aggressive behavior towards pets and human owners (even if they were not involved). Their mischievous behavior often results in extensive property damage.  

Raccoon under dog bowl sleeping (royalty free Unsplash)

Pet or Pest?

It is legal in some states to keep a raccoon as a pet. This practice is not recommended by most for a number of reasons. Human-created foods, such as canned pet food, can be very harmful to a raccoon (obesity and gout), and cow’s milk will harm the kits.

As adults, raccoons can show aggressive behavior when their mobility is impaired, when they feel threatened, or when they are moody. They are unpredictable and resist learning commands used with more common pets.

There are exceptions however. US President Calvin Coolidge had a pet raccoon named ‘Rebecca.’ Rebecca had been sent to the White House from Mississippi for their 1926 Thanksgiving dinner. Instead she became the “White House Raccoon” that was known to unscrew lightbulbs, open cabinets, unpot houseplants, and walk outside on a leash.

Rabies

There are other reasons to not keep raccoons as pets. Raccoons make up nearly 30 percent of all rabies cases in the United States and can carry zoonic parasites and infectious diseases that can spread to humans and pets.

Did I mention that they bite?

These guys are smart and their bites seem to be targeted to cause the greatest pain over the longest time. One scuffle with our pet dog resulted in over 40 bites to her front leg and paw joints. Brutal and never forgotten by the dog or my pocket book.  

REFERENCES:
–Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife, Common raccoon (https://myodfw.com/wildlife-viewing/species/common-raccoon) and Living With Raccoons  (https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/raccoon.asp)
–Critter Control, Why raccoons are considered pets and not pets.com Racoons (https://www.crittercontrol.com/wildlife/raccoons/why-raccoons-are-considered-pests-and-not-pets-c
–Wikipedia, Raccoons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon) and Rebecca (raccoon) (…wiki/Rebecca_(raccoon)).

Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium)

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Neither a grape or a holly be…
This evergreen is not a tree. 
The spike and point to clusters yellow,
Makes the fruit a favorite fellow.

Oregon grape became our State Flower in 1899. Choosing a favorite from so many beauties must have been difficult.

Oregon Grape flower and leaves (image courtesy of Oregon State University, Landscape)

State flowers provide a way to showcase abundance, beauty, historical significance, feelings, and economic prowess. Oregon grape was chosen to represent beauty and abundance.

Why Oregon Grape?

The common plant name suggests that this plant is a grape. It is not.

Oregon Grape is a woody evergreen shrub under the Berberis Barberry family. Barberry shrubs are common in many Pacific Northwest landscapes.

Where Found?

Oregon Grape grows in Southeast Alaska, east into Alberta, Canada, and south into central New Mexico. It often grows in Douglas-fir forests common in the Pacific Northwest.

Clusters of bright yellow flowers makes this plant easy to identify in the early spring. In the fall, the plant produces a crop of small, purple-ish-black grape-shaped fruit. The fruit is bitter, but edible.

Oregon Grape flower close up (image courtesy of Oregon State University, Landscape)

Not a Holly

The dark green, glossy holly-like leaflets have sharp spines and can reach 12-inches in length.

It is not closely related to a holly. Like a holly, this plant will tolerate poor soils, resist summer drought, and create minimal leaf litter. It rarely grows over four feet tall.

Shiny leaves are usually a sign that a plant will resist wilting making them attractive to florists. Depending on the variety (and there are several), the leaf color may shift in the fall to more of a purple-ish tint.

Who Loves Ya?

Birds love the berries, along with the bees and butterflies. Berries can be used to make juice, jelly, jam, and wine. Note: The berries are quite tart and have large seeds. Berries are best eaten after the first frost.

Indigenous people used the inner bark and roots to make yellow dye; berries make a purple.

Medical

Medicines for stomach ailments and fighting bacterial/fungal infections have been made from rhizomes. There is even documentation show it might help with psoriasis.

Other Uses

Oregon Grape is deer resistant. The sharp spiny leaves make formidable natural barriers.

The plant does not require regular fertilization. A bit of compost over the root zone will help it retain moisture and reduce weeds).

The Oregon Grape provided much utility for pioneering families and indigenous peoples in our area.

REFERENCE:
–World Atlas, What is the State Flower of Oregon? (https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-state-flower-of-oregon.html)
–Oregon State University, Landscape Plants (https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/mahonia-aquifolium)
–Web MD (https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-493/oregon-grape)  
–Wikipedia, Oregon Grape (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahonia_aquifolium and  Berberis_aquifolium)
–Britannica Encyclopedia, Oregon Grape (https://www.britannica.com/plant/Oregon-grape)
–Oregon Grape-Holly Care (https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/mahonia/grape-holly-plant-care.htm)