Animal behavior

[Dave King]

Spring's here and I'm beginning to think about watching the fawns and other animals. This morning on the way to work I was thinking and recalled an incident I've witnessed twice but have no explanation for, maybe someone else has seen this.

Twice I've witnessed apparently young rabbits playing some type of tag/game/mating ritual/?. The game (?) starts out as a standard foot race and ends with the rabbits facing one another at a very close distance (inches). One rabbit, apparently without warning will hop straight up in the air (a 4 legged spring without horizontal movement) and the other rabbit runs under the airborne rabbit and stops just beyond the airborne rabbits original position. Once the airborne rabbit lands (at this point they're both facing away from one another) they do an "about face" twist/hop and are once again facing one another. This ritual is then repeated some number of times and in one case there was a short foot race and the ritual took place again.

Anyone else ever seen this? What are they doing?

 

[Guest]

Dave..think they call that foreplay or hareplay..not sure which though.

 

[Dave King]

Wildart

Welcome to the Long Range Hunting forums.


Maybe it's hareplay(?), I know it's not foreplay. I'd thought that's what it was too, and then I thought if it works for those rather prolific breeder rabbits it could work for me too! So I tried it with my wife once but she hit me in the danglers when she scooted underneath and that put an end to that interlude and method.

 

[Allen Vinyard]

Oh Dave, I couldn't help but say something here. Such a mental picture your last post created in my mind. Cracked me up. I'll laugh all day about this.
Allen

 

[Dave King]

Allen

You're more than welcome, always glad to provide some cheer and humor.

HAGD

/r

 

[littletoes]

Hey Dave, my Dad lives up north of me. He has a wild rabbit that lives around his yard. That same rabbit has made friends with my folks neibhor's cat. Seen 'em doing the same thing that you describe. Then they'll chase each other around. Real funny. Think humans arn't the only ones who play. littletoes.