MAMMALIA 



627 



famous for its long legs, long ears, and speed. All of the hares build 

 nests in heavy grass and bear the young here. The cotton tail rabbits, 

 Sylvikvgus of several species, are generally distributed over the coun- 

 try. They are grizzly gray above and lighter below, with the under- 

 side of the tail cottony white. They dig their own burrows, or borrow 

 burrows from prairie dogs, ground hogs, or badgers. Several litters 

 of blind, helpless young are born in the burrow or in a nest above the 

 ground during the breeding season. In the Gulf States, extending 



Fig. 340. — Adult golden hamster. (Courtesy Biological Survey House, Chicago.) 



as far west as central Texas, is a larger semiaquatic relative of the 

 cottontail, the swamp rabbit. It is brownish gray above and is said to 

 have the habit of concealing itself in the water with only the tip of the 

 nose exposed. In the region above the timber line are found the tail- 

 less rock rabbits or pikas. They live among the rocks and look a little 

 like guinea pigs. 



Order Carnivora. — Most of the mammals of this order are flesh- 

 eating, although a few are omnivorous and one or two are vegetarians. 

 They have the canine teeth well developed and conical premolars as 



