Facts about hares (Leporidae)

A Young Hare by Albrecht Dürer

• The hare is a small, furry animal with long ears and long, powerful hind legs. 
• Hares belong to the hare and rabbit family, Leporidae.
• Hares are often mistaken for rabbits, but they are larger and usually have longer legs and ears than rabbits. 
• Hares do not dig burrows as do European rabbits. 
• Baby hares are born with their eyes already open and with a full coat of fur. Rabbits are naked and blind at birth. 
• Hares grow up to 25 inches long, and have brown, buff, gray, or white fur.
• Hares have short, bushy, white tails that are easy to see when they run. Hares have a split upper lip.
• Most hares mate by the time they are 6 months old and produce two or three litters a year. Each litter has from two to five young.
• Hares are most active in spring. Their excited actions suggested the phrase as mad as a March hare. 

Some facts about the Jaguar cat

The jaguar is probably the most fierce cat in the Western Hemisphere. Its loud, deep roar and vicious habits make it the most feared animal in the Central and South American rainforests. The jag¬uar likes to lie on tree branches and leap upon its prey. It eats such animals as the deer, peccary, tapir, and the agouti. Many hunters and other persons have also been killed and eaten by the jaguar.
Jaguars once roamed as far north as the deserts of Arizona and southern California. But they now live only in México, Central America, and South America.
The jaguar is slightly smaller, but heavier, than the mountain lion. A male jaguar may grow about 8 feet long, including its 2½-foot tail, and may weigh up to 290 pounds. The jaguar's coat is usually deep yellow or brownish-yellow and marked with many dark spots. Some spots look like broken rings. These spots are light-colored with dark borders and a dark spot in the center. Other spots are black. Some South American jaguars are almost coal black. It is next to the lion and tiger in strength among the cats. Ancient Maya Indians considered the jaguar a god.
Scientific Classification.
The jaguar is in the cat family, Felidae.
 It is genus Panthera, species P. onca.

Jaguar cat

What are game birds?

   People raise many birds for food. Many wild birds, too, are good food. They are called game birds. Hunting these birds is a popular sport.
   Many game birds spend most of their time on the ground. Among them are quail, grouse, and pheasant. Other game birds are water birds. Among them are wild ducks and geese.
   In the early days of America game birds were plentiful. They were killed a few at a time all year round by both white settlers and Indians. Later, hunters began killing more than they needed for themselves and selling them. Game birds began to grow scarce. Some, like the passenger pigeon, disappeared entirely.
   Then in some places people began to raise such game birds as quail and turn them loose. Laws were passed to protect game birds, too. Most of these birds can now be hunted only at certain times. The period when a certain kind of bird can be killed is called open season for that bird. Even in the open season there is a limit to the number of birds a hunter may bag. If hunters obey the laws, there should be good hunting for years to come.