Advanced English Listening Quiz - Rabbit Problems

Among the serious pests in orchards and tree plantations are the several native species of rabbits. These animals do considerable damage to garden truck and other farm crops, especially on lands recently opened to cultivation. North American rabbits belong to two general classes easily distinguished by their size and habits. The larger forms include the snowshoe rabbits and the jack rabbits. The smaller forms, generally called "cottontail rabbits," occur in almost every state. In habits the smaller forms differ materially from the larger rabbits. They live in copses and thickets more than in open fields. The young are born blind, naked, and helpless, while those of the larger rabbits have the eyes open, are partially furred, and active when born. Rabbits of both types feed exclusively on vegetation, and are at times harmful to crops and especially to trees. Because of their size and great abundance in parts of their range, jack rabbits are by far the most destructive.