Wonders of Nature

The answer to each week's Critter Quiz becomes the Featured Creature the following week.

Click HERE - the answer is there waiting for you!

If you have photos that you would like to submit for consideration as the Featured Creature
please email Wonders of Nature

I am an amphibian. Although the darkness of my color can change
depending on lighting and temperature I am always some shade of green, in
fact my color is part of my name. I can be found all over the southern
states of the US, and I am the official State Amphibian of Louisiana. My
legs are almost twice as long as my body - helping me make HUGE leaps
of 8-10 feet. My toes end in round pads that allow me to climb around in
trees very comfortably - this habit gave me the second part of my name! I
am such a cool little critter that it is said the famous Kermit was modeled
after me! Who am I?

Matt took these pictures
on Wheedon Island.

The Marsh Rabbit can be
found all over Florida. It is
a slightly smaller, darker
relative of the more familiar
Cottontail Rabbit, which is
best known for its white,
cotton-puff tail. In
contrast, the marsh rabbit
has a small gray-brown
tail. The Marsh Rabbit is

agricultural fields.They eat
a variety of plants found in
and around wetlands.
Marsh rabbits are most
active at night and at dawn
and dusk, so if you want to
see one for yourself an
early morning or evening
visit to your local wetlands
is your best chance! The
scientific name for the
Marsh Rabbit is Sylvilagus
palustris.

different from its Cottontail cousin in another important way - it is a strong
swimmer and is usually found close to water. In Florida, this habitat includes
everything from fresh and brackish marshes to wet prairies and flooded

· Rabbits have 28 teeth and they never stop growing - just like your fingernails.

· Rabbits are not rodents, as many people think, they
belong to a different order called lagomorphs.

· A male rabbit is called a buck, a female is
called a doe, and a baby is called a kit.

· All rabbits have big ears. The world record
belongs to an American rabbit, called Nipper's
Geronimo - his ears were just over 31 inches long!

· A rabbit's tail is called a scut. Rabbits use their tail to
communicate messages of danger, excitement and even
directions to other rabbits.

· Wild rabbits are native to every continent except Australia
and Antarctica. However there are a lot of rabbits in the wilds of Australia, so
many that it has become a problem for the native wildlife because rabbits do not
really belong there but were introduced by people - they teach us an important
lesson about why we should never, ever release our pets into the wild.