Giving up densities of rabbits - Research Paper Example

The purpose of the study was to determine how far the cottontail would go from its natural habitat for the food set up in the trays. The prediction was that the cottontail rabbits would not venture too far from their home for the food set up in the trays at a further distance. There were two trays set up at a closer distance. In the one tray the food was easier for the rabbits to get to than in the other tray that was set out at a close distance to the proximity of the rabbits natural habitat.

The prediction was that the rabbits would not want to venture to far away from the habitat to find the food that was set out for them. The rabbits would not work as hard at the closer two trays that were set up with the rabbit nibble, because the rabbits would be too frightened that a predator would come and hunt the rabbit. The rabbits would devour the food from the tray that was easier to grab at, and easier to get to the food, because the rabbits would not want to stand there too long to get the food.

The rabbits would want to hurry, and eat so they would not be discovered by any predators. The importance of a rabbit giving up density is because the rabbits do not want to be discovered while going through extra lengths just to get the food. The rabbits give up density for safety, and will always go for the easier food that is closer to their habitat, than go for food that is far away from their habitat. “When we say ‘habitat’ we are referring to a location that suits best the basic needs of the living organism,” Cottontail Rabbit Habitat, (1).

Materials and Methods The materials used for this experiment were four feeding troughs. The troughs were filled with dry sand, and then filled with rabbit chow. The rabbit chow was mixed with the sand. There was the same amount of food put into two troughs, and the same amount of food put into the other two troughs. The troughs were filled with unequal portions of sand. When the sand was poured into the troughs with the food the food was then blended well with the sand. The two troughs with the most food in them were placed further in the field.

The two troughs with the least amount of food were left near the habitat of the rabbits. When the rabbits came out in the night the rabbits ate from the two troughs that were closest to the habitat. “Cottontail rabbits generally forage for food at night and stay concealed in brush during the daytime,” Moore, (1). The researchers put the troughs out at night, and expected the rabbits to eat from them during the night. The experiment was conducted in the same spot over the course of the three nights.

The experiment warranted the use of the troughs in the same spots over the course of the three nights as not to have inconsistencies with the results of the experiment. The rabbits ate more food from the trough that was closest to their habitat, and not filled with as much sand. The researchers found that the rabbits ate more from the trough that did not have as much sand in it, because the rabbits found it easier to get to the food with less sand in the trough. The rabbits did not want to linger too long at the troughs to get the food.

The rabbits were afraid of any predator coming around and harming the rabbits as the rabbits were trying to eat. Results The results of the experiment were that the rabbits ate less out of the two troughs that were far away. The rabbits ate more out of the trough that was close to their habitat,