Lagomorphs
Author: Ray Bowers
Order: Lagomorpha: Hares, Pikas, and Rabbits |
Description:
Lagomorphs range in size from 5 to 29.5 inches long for the total body
length. Adults weigh from 3.3 ounces to 9.9 pounds. Hares and rabbits have short tails and pikas have no
tails. Pikas have small rounded ears and legs that are not large compared to the rest of their body. Hares
and rabbits have long ears and large rear legs. Lagomorphs have a pair of incisors (teeth located in the
front of the mouth) that grows all the time and a pair of peglike incisors behind the front pair. There is
a large space between the incisors and the cheek teeth that is used for grinding.
Geographic range:
Lagomorph fossils that are about fifty million years old have been
found. Lagomorphs that are still alive are native to all continents except Antarctica and Australia. But
they have been introduced into Australia, as well as many islands that they were not native to. Lagomorphs
are found throughout New Mexico, although the picas are limited to the northern mountainous regions.
Habitat:
Pikas live in mountainous alpine and sub-alpine areas, rocky slopes and
fields of boulders. Snowshoe hares also live in montane (mountainous) forest areas, but most hares and
rabbits are found in a variety of open grassland and desert areas in New Mexico.
Food Web:
Lagomorphs only eat vegetation. They usually feed on grasses and
herbaceous plants, but they may also feed on the bark of small trees and shrubs especially in the winter
months. They will be preyed upon by a variety of predators such as coyotes and foxes.
Reproduction and Development:
Lagomorphs all develop very differently. Pikas and
rabbits are born blind and hairless, but hares are born well-developed and can follow their mothers soon
after birth.
Behavior:
The behavior of lagomorphs varies. Pikas are active during the day
(are diurnal) and live in groups of other pikas (are colonial), and make hay piles to store food in for
the winter. Hares and rabbits are mainly active during the night (nocturnal) and solitary. Hares tend to
run away from predators, while rabbits usually run to dense cover or a burrow. Lagomorphs have a special
way of eating that may increase the amount of nutrients that can be extracted from their food. They use a
reingestive behavior in which fecal pellets are eaten.
Ecosystem roles:
Lagomorphs are plant eaters, eating many different kinds of
plants.
Conservation:
Lagomorph populations may be extremely high in some areas especially
where there are no natural predators or where the natural predators are diminished because humans are
trying to get rid of pests.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia, Mammals
Order: Lagomorpha, Hares, Picas, and Rabbits
Lagomorphs are divided into two families:
Ochotonidae: Pikas
Leporidae: Hares and Rabbits
There are eight species of rabbits found in New Mexico.
References:
Cockrum, E. Lendell; and Yar Petryszyn. 1992. Mammals of the
Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. Tucson: Treasure Chest Publications, 192 p.
Findley, James S. 1987. The Natural History of New Mexican Mammals. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico
Press, 164 p.
Findley, James S.; Arthur H. Harris; Don E. Wilson; and Clyde Jones. 1975. Mammals of New Mexico.
Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 360 p.
Noeman, David. 1994. Prehistoric Life. USA: Macmillal, Inc.
Nowak, Ronald M. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World, 5th ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press,
2 vols.
Related Terms: pikas, rabbits, lagomorpha, lagomorph