In desert country, you may not have to travel far before seeing a jackrabbit. It may be sitting up on its hind legs watching you, or it may be leaping away in a zig-zag course to get out of sight.
The jackrabbit has big ears, yet all species do not have the same size ears. Those in Australia have enormous ears. These big ears give these hares an excellent sense of hearing and also help to cool them down by giving off body heat in the intense heat of that land. The ears of jackrabbits in the United States are much shorter, since they live in cooler areas and need to conserve heat in the cooler seasons. How wise our Creator is to help these active animals to be comfortable no matter where they live.
The jackrabbit has a sharp sense of sight. Its eyes see forward, sideways and even behind. This, along with its excellent hearing, helps keep it alert to the threat of enemies. Its strong hind legs enable it to make leaps and bounds at speeds up to 40 miles an hour. It can also jump five feet in the air while leaping five to ten feet in distance.
The snowshoe hare is a cousin of the jackrabbit. This species can live comfortably in cold climates. It has long, strong back legs like its relatives of the south, but its ears are much shorter, since it needs to conserve body heat where it lives.
A very special feature the Creator gave this rabbit is its “snowshoes.” Its feet are about twice the size of a jackrabbit’s. This permits it to walk on top of the snow and easily leap through it in ten-foot jumps. It also has fur on the bottom of its feet to keep them from freezing.
In addition, God gives it a white winter coat in exchange for the brown one of summer. When sitting still on the snow, it is almost invisible. Towards spring as the snow melts and rocks and brown soil begin to appear, this rabbit’s white coat changes to reddish-brown again for the summer. The tips of its ears stay black all year long.
The fur on a snowshoe hare’s feet is one more thing that shows us the kindness of God toward all of His creation. His kindness toward us is so much greater, as He has made the way to forgive us of our sins, as our opening verse says. This forgiveness cost Him the life of His own Son! He wants us to be kind to others as well, and that includes forgiving those who do wrong things to us. We will find it easier to do that as we remember His great kindness to us.
Did You Know?
A jackrabbit’s strong hind legs enable it to run up to 40 miles an hour.
Messages of God’s Love 11/19/2023