Though likely born only weeks ago, this young cottontail rabbit has long been out of the nest and can reach breeding age at only 3 months. Rabbits have to mature quickly, considering few survive past 15 months due to predation. (Betsy Bloom/Daily News photo)

As area students head back to school, I’m struck again by the contrast between human growth and development versus many of the other creatures around us.

We humans are born relatively hairless and completely helpless. That’s not unique. Newborn mice often emerge as near-fetal “pinkies,” with no fur and, unlike us, completely sightless, eyes only inky orbs under skin. It’s why deer mice can crank out multiple litters a year when the weather is mild enough — the gestation period is less than a month. Even here in the north, they may start reproducing in March and continue into October if conditions allow. Their offspring, in turn, reach breeding age at 44 days. Think of that for a moment — from hairless and blind to being able to conceive in roughly a month and a half.

Many other infant mammals may be born with only a scant covering of fuzz and eyes shut as if zippered. Multiple species of birds, too, emerge from egg without feathers and eyelids sealed.

In many cases, having babies that are still tiny and undeveloped is a matter of freeing mom from being bogged down carrying offspring around, either as egg or in utero. Yes, it might make those eggs, chicks or pups more vulnerable in the early days or weeks, but it also allows parents to more easily hunt or forage to feed their offspring or themselves if needing to produce milk.

There are others, usually prey animals, that can’t dwell sightless and crawling in a nest or burrow. Deer fawns and moose calves come into the world with the ability to stand within minutes and run within hours, though initially the babies will try to remain hidden those first couple weeks when probably too small and slow to elude a predator.

The pace of development for most animal species, whether precocious or not when entering the world, quickly picks up after hatching or birth compared with a human infant. Most also won’t benefit from parental attention for years as humans do.

Deer, especially young bucks, will only spend a year with their mother, until the doe drives them away for her next fawns.

Young raccoons usually get roughly a year of mom’s company as well. But some of the other predators out there — male skunks, fox, weasels — will set out on their own in late summer and fall, or at least lead relatively independent lives.

Cottontail rabbits will be out of the nest about three weeks after being born blind and nearly naked. They can start breeding when only 3 months old — perhaps a reflection that, as a common target for being eaten, they rarely live beyond 15 months in the wild so need to get busy early.

With most wildlife, it’s a race to get big enough, fast enough, strong enough, clever enough, experienced enough to survive once the parents’ role is done. Harsh reality for a good number of these animals is that transformation to adulthood won’t come quickly enough, given the hazards they face. The odds tend to be long of making it through the first year, with little margin for error.

That got illustrated for me this past week while driving to work Monday. For much of the summer, on one particular stretch of M-69 close to Six Mile Lake Road, red fox had become so regular I’d slow to 45 to 50 mph, scanning the shoulders and ditches for any slight glint of silver eyeshine, like a flash of moonlight, in the darkness.

The foxes would appear trotting along the roadside or slipping into the tall grass as I got near. I even saw fox kits playing in the middle of the blacktop and chided them for their carelessness, warning they needed to become more savvy about life along a relatively busy highway.

For one, it was a lesson not learned in time. While heading to Iron Mountain on Monday afternoon, I came around a curve on M-69 just west of Six Mile Lake Road — and saw a twist of bloodied, flame-colored fur in the other lane. It brought a lump to my throat.

So we humans, as a species, should consider ourselves relatively lucky that we have the luxury of a long childhood and the time to learn, grow and develop skills — and that, in most cases, much less is at stake when we make a misstep.

Betsy Bloom can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 240, or bbloom@ironmountaindailynews.com.