Skull
- Catalog Number:
- 67108 -SKULL
- Object/Specimen Description:
- Specimen Count:
- 1
- Upper Level Taxonomy:
- Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Tetrapoda, Mammalia, Eutheria, Lagomorpha, Leporidae
Lagomorphs live in various habitats, ranging from forests to rocky slopes to arctic snow. Regardless of location, they often use burrows, which provide protection from weather and predators. Some species, such as rabbits, dig their own burrows, while other species colonize burrows made by others. Lagomorphs that live in rocky terrain without soft soil use crevices between rocks as burrows. Lagomorphs give birth in burrows, where young are raised until mature enough to disperse. Burrows built for individuals may be small and simple, or they may be large and branching for species that live in groups (colonially), such as pikas. Colonial lagomorphs have specialized alarm calls that can result in a mass dive for the burrows. All lagomorphs are plant-eaters (herbivores) and commonly gather and store vegetation in their burrows for future use. A lagomorph burrow is therefore a kitchen, a dining room, a master bedroom, and a nursery.