On The Range
What was that?! A Jack Rabbit!
By Deana Kirk
The Virginia Range horses are ready for the winter season! They are sporting their new, thick winter coats and are ready for the snow. They aren’t the only animals on the range with a fancy winter wardrobe. The whitetail jackrabbit lives amongst them, and much like the horses, they change their fur coats instead of migrating or hibernating during the winter months. They have thick white to gray fur in the winter to keep them warm and camouflage themselves from predators. In the spring they shed these coats and grow a thinner, light brown coat to blend in with the dirt and shrubs of the area.
Actually, jackrabbits are not rabbits at all. They are hares! Unlike rabbits who are social and live in groups, jackrabbits live alone or in a pair. While baby rabbits are born blind and with no fur, baby jackrabbits are born with their eyes open and full fur coats. They can walk, and even run, within minutes of birth. The babies nurse for less than a week and are completely independent within a month. At this time, they leave their families to forage for food. They eat grasses and green vegetation in the summer, and twigs and shrubs during the winter.
These hares are most well-known for their shockingly large size. They can grow to be 2 feet tall and up to 10 pounds! The most notable feature of the jackrabbit is their enormous ears that can be up to 7 inches long. Abundant blood flow in the ears help to regulate the jackrabbit’s temperature by absorbing heat in the winter and releasing heat in the summer. They also have very sharp eyesight, hearing, smell, and can even feel vibrations through their whiskers. Another secret weapon they have is their large back feet. They not only use them to run, jump, and fight, they also use them to stay on top of the deep winter snow. While the jackrabbit is nocturnal, you may see them on the range during the day. They do not live in burrows underground but prefer to lay low in the brush. If they are startled, they will take off in a zig-zag pattern to a safer location. So put on your favorite coat and enjoy the winter wonderland that is the Virginia Range! Happy Holidays!
Photo: Tom Koerner/USFWS
Horses have facial expression?
By Deborah Walker
Did you know?
Facial expressions can give hints as to what a person is feeling, but that’s not exclusive to human beings. We have 27 facial expressions, chimpanzees 13, dogs 16, and horses have a whopping 17 movements or expressions.
A study done at the University of Sussex found that many of the horse's facial movements are similar to our own expressions. The University used a system called Facial Action Coding System (EquiFACS) that helped make sense of the horse face gestures. Some of what they found had to do with the ears and mouth. The ears tell a big story and are often a first indicator of the horse’s mood and well-being. The nose and mouth also are indicators in determining how a horse is doing. A droopy lip sometimes accompanies a sleeping horse but along with other signs, can also indicate illness. The flehmen is when the horse’s upper lip is lifted up as well as their head to get a really good smell in his or her environment. Stallions are seen practicing this when a mare is in heat. The mouth and nostrils can be pulled tight to indicate pain or anger.
The horse’s eyes can alert you to their feelings of safety, sickness. When a horse has opened their eyes enough to show the white around the eye, they are in an alarmed state. The raising the inner corner of their eyes can signal the horse is worried or concerned. Lowering that area of the eye can demonstrate irritation but not necessarily anger.
Fortunately, the study has been hugely important to horse owners and veterinarians who can put together what is going on with a horse initially through these important signals, along with other diagnostic tools.
The bottom line is that the study found that horses intentionally communicate using their facial muscles, ears, nostrils, mouth, and eyes with us and with other horses.
Enjoy some of the fun photos of our wild ones giving everything from a “stink eye” to a loving recognition of friends and families! Thank you to all the contributing photographers.
