This book was written by Connor Johnson in Mrs. Brinkley's 7th Period Class for a research project about the Texas Piney Woods EcoRegion.

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Once upon a Time,

there were three common gray foxes (1) living in the Piney Woods of eastern Texas. Their names were Father Fox, Mother Fox, and Baby Fox. Life was great for them: they lived in an area where everything they needed for survival (2) was in abundance: small mammals to hunt for food, water to drink, and a nice foxhole to live in. The soaring eagles above have gently spared the family for an extensive time and the wandering bobcats have not came close to home. But there was one thing: Baby Fox was adopted by his parents because his older brothers kicked him out from his past family; they were in search of food (3). This made Baby Fox very sad.

As the Sun set and Mother Fox awoke the family (4), Father Fox proposed the idea that they go hunting. And they departed; the squirrels above leaping from tree to tree, guiding them the way out of the area.

The trio journeyed to the thicker part of the forest where the underbrush became more pronounced and the sky blackened because of the upper tree cover. They passed by a wide variety of the forest's beautiful trees and plants, such as...

Water Oak

Quercus nigra

Longleaf Pine

Pinus palustris

Sweetgum

Liquidambar styraciflua

Buttonbush

Cephalanthus occidentalis

The foxes are part of a big network of creatures in the forest hunting each other for food (5). The web begins when the Sun provides light energy for plants to convert into food. Creatures such as mice, rabbits, and deer eat those plants. The foxes (6) along with bobcats, eagles, and bald eagles eat those animals. But the foxes are too weak to compete with the bobcats, eagles, and bald eagles. They are not at the top of the food web, so they have to hunt at night in secrecy when the temperature is colder (7).

Lately, trees have been disappearing out of thin air (8), but the only evidence remaining is loud screeching. If this continues, the rabbits, deer, and squirrels won't have homes. The predators won't have to go searching for them because they will just be wide open. This limits the area where these delicate creatures can stay, so that forces rabbits especially to always be on the move.

Meanwhile, an unsuspecting creature was roaming the dangerous side of the woods, deep into gray fox (9) territory. The squirrels danced above, almost taunting him. It was Little Rabbit, a swamp rabbit (10). Day to day, he didn’t have a place to settle down. His mother abandoned him at birth and left him inferior. His hind legs were rendered significantly weaker because of deformation and he had to steer clear of the vast variety of creatures that would eat him for food, along with the other animals lurking (11), so that left him worried all day long. As he was strolling along, he stumbled across the very foxhole that the three foxes had just left. He went inside.

Aromas of fresh grass (12) filled the damp air. "I'm very hungry!" he said. Little Rabbit caught sight of three grass uprootings. He nibbled on the first patch. It was too big. He nibbled on the second patch. It was too small. He nibbled on the third patch. It was just right for his appetite. He ate it all.

Zzz...

"I'm very tired!" Little Rabbit said. He found three resting dens to sleep. The first one looked too big to lay down. The second one looked too small. The third one was just right. He perfectly fit in and fell fast asleep.

The Sun rose. The three foxes returned back home, their bellies full of rabbit meat.

As soon as they entered the foxhole, they discovered that someone was inside.

Father Fox said "Who's been eating my grass?"

Mother Fox said "Who's been eating my grass?"

Baby Fox said "My grass is gone!"

They went lower into the foxhole.

Father Fox said "Who's been sleeping in my den?"

Mother Fox said "Who's been sleeping in my den?"

Baby Fox said "Someone is sleeping in my den right now!"

Little Rabbit awoke from his sleep. He was so surprised to see all three foxes that he made a mad dash for the entrance to the outside world.

"Wait!" said Baby Fox. "I have no friends at all to play with, which makes me feel lonely. Can you stay and play?"

The End.

Little Rabbit stayed and played with Baby Fox and Mother Fox served them all delicious blackberries, the treasure of the Piney Woods.

What's the lesson learned? Always ask for permission when entering someone's house, because their privacy is just as important as yours.

Food Web

1. Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

2. White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

3. Swamp Rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus)

4. Texas Rat Snake (Pantherophis obsoleta lindheimeri)

5. Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargentues)

6. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

7. Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

Producers

Apex Predators

Primary Consumers (Herbivores)

Secondary Consumers

Food Pyramid

Producers: plants

Primary Consumers (Herbivores): eastern gray squirrel, white-tailed deer, swamp rabbit

Secondary Consumers: Texas rat snake, gray fox

Apex Predators: bald eagle, bobcat

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"Little Rabbit and the Three Gray Foxes"

Name: Little Rabbit and the Three Gray Foxes
Author: CJ9706

CJ9706

This is a story about three foxes living in the Piney Woods of eastern Texas. The youngest fox, Baby Fox, befriends a rabbit who stumbles upon their home. The story also includes information about the food web and ecosystem of the forest.

(28 pages)

Privacy level: PUBLIC

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