I decided this series would consist of East Texas Fauna. The first image is of an Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus). The Eastern Cottontail has speckled brown-gray fur above, reddish-brown fur around its neck and shoulders and lighter fur around its nose and on its undersides. It has big eyes and a tail that is puffy white on the underside. In the winter its fur may be more gray than brown. It is found from extreme southern Canada south to South America. In the U.S., it is found in most of the Eastern U.S. and in parts of New Mexico and Arizona and prefers habitats that are between woody areas and open land. It can be found in bushy areas, fields, woodlands, swamps and thickets. It is an herbivore. It eats a variety of different plants including grasses, clover, fruits and vegetables. In the winter it eats the woody parts of plants like the twigs and the bark of brambles, birch, oak, dogwood and maple trees. During mating season, males often fight with each other. The male and female also perform a kind of mating "dance". The male will chase the female. Eventually the female will stop, face the male and box at him with her front paws. At some point, one of them will leap straight up in the air and then the other one will jump up in the air too. I have seen this activity many times late in the evening on my property. It is delightful to watch. Unfortunately, I never managed to get a shot of the activity and it has been a number of years since I have seen any rabbits on my land. Feral dogs, coyotes, and habitat destruction have all played a part in this. The Eastern Cottontail mates between February and September. The female builds a nest in a depression in the ground and lines it with soft materials and fur from her chest. The female gives birth about a month after mating. She has between one to nine babies, although she usually will have four to five young. The female feeds the young twice a day. The babies are weaned after about three weeks and leave the nest after about seven weeks. The female may mate again just hours after giving birth. Females can have three or four litters a year. Eastern cottontails are ready to mate when they are three months old. The Eastern Cottontail is solitary and very territorial. It is mostly nocturnal, but it sometimes will come out in the early morning and at dusk and sometimes during the day on dark days. The Eastern Cottontail can leap distances of between 10 and 15 feet. It will sometimes stand on its hind feet to watch for predators like coyotes, foxes, weasels, eagles and hawks. When a predator is chasing it, the eastern cottontail will often leap from side to side to break its scent trail. It can run at speeds of up to 15 miles an hour. I spotted this one sitting in tall grass near my pond. I managed to get within about 30' of it before it noticed me. Instead of running it just hunkered down`in the tall grass. After a short time it raised up enough to get a look around and I took this shot. Thanks to all who have taken the time to comment on one of my postings. The feedback is appreciated. I hope everyone who has clicked on one of them was pleased with having done so. Lee