Georgia Department of Natural Resources.For rabbits and hares, the wild behavior that begins in March can extend well into the autumn thanks to the relatively long breeding season. While animal experts once believed these matches were a result of males fighting over females, they now know that unwilling female hares box overly amorous males to make it clear that no means no.Īs for Alice's mad March hare – two months into breeding season he may have had some time to sow his wild oats a bit, but anyone familiar with the story knows his madness was still going strong when Alice met up with him in May. Hares also do their fair share to contribute to their mad reputation these docile looking creatures use their powerful front legs to engage one another in rough and tumble boxing matches.
Humans who witness these rituals can easily wonder why the rabbits seem to be losing their minds, leading to the common belief that rabbits go mad at the start of spring. In areas with large concentrations of rabbits, that's quite a bit of courting going on. Male rabbits are polygamous, and dominant males will attempt to breed with all willing females on their turf, which could span as much as 25 acres. When the deed is done, the male may stick around for a few hours before he's off in search of his next conquest. Some rabbits show their interest by running and racing, others leap or hop and some even take to boxing or fighting. When he finds a female who's willing to do the deed, they engage in a bizarre courting ritual, which can take many forms. Īs winter comes to an end and spring approaches, the male rabbit begins his search for willing females to mate with after the long winter dry spell. Coincidentally, late February or early March also marks the start of the breeding season for these creatures, and that wild reputation is likely tied to mating rituals. While hares and rabbits are two distinctly different creatures - the hare is slightly larger with brown tips on his ears - both are known for going a little wild around the start of March.
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