Wild rabbits are really well camouflaged - until they start running, when their little white tails start bobbing - just shouting "chase me, I'm here". Is this an evolutionary oversight, or is there a reason behind it?
Three answers:
kborland
2006-04-08 11:18:59 UTC
One theory is that when feeding in the dusk, rabbits run to their burrows on the least alarm, and that it would be very important for those who were furthest off, and especially for the young, to be able to follow the others without any hesitation in a straight line. The upturned white tail thus serves as a useful guide.
nolyad69
2006-04-09 03:28:57 UTC
I think it distracts the predators. The predator may decide to take a bite towards the tail, which would still hurt...but might save the rabbits life.
The rabbits that lived would go on to produce more rabbits with white tails....and so on.
check out this rabbit.
http://www.daylon.com/bigrabbit
2006-04-08 19:20:29 UTC
Go ask Alice.
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