Eastern Cottontail Rabbit
Sylvilagus floridanus · Mammal, Vertebrate, Warm-blooded, Wild
Animal Family
Leporidae family, order Lagomorpha, class Mammalia
Animal Category
Wild Prey / Small Mammal
Breed / Variety
Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
Conservation Status
IUCN Status: Least Concern; population is stable and often thrives in human-altered landscapes.
About This Creature
Small to medium-sized rabbit with a chunky body, weighing 2-4 lbs and measuring 12-19 inches. Features brownish-gray grizzled fur and a distinctive white cotton-ball tail.
Physical Characteristics
Long ears for heat regulation and hearing, large hind legs for high-speed hopping, brownish-gray gayer fur with a rufous patch on the nape of the neck, and large laterally placed eyes for a wide field of vision.
Behavior & Temperament
Solitary and crepuscular/nocturnal; uses 'freezing' or zig-zag running to escape predators; communicates through thumping back feet and scent marking; extremely skittish.
Habitat & Diet
Origin Region
Native to North America, originally found from southern Canada to South America; highly successful in temperate and tropical zones
Habitat
Grasslands, forest edges, meadows, and urban/suburban lawns; terrestrial and fossorial-leaning (uses burrows but doesn't dig as complex systems as European rabbits)
Diet & Nutrition
Herbivore; consumes grasses and clover in summer, and bark, twigs, and buds in winter; practices coprophagy (re-ingests droppings for nutrient absorption).
Lifespan & Health
Short lifespan, typically 1-3 years in the wild due to high predation; prolific breeders with 3-4 litters per year of 3-8 kits each.
Special Characteristics
Notable for its 'startle' response and high-speed mobility (up to 18 mph); serves as a vital 'staple' prey species for numerous predators; culturally recognized as a symbol of spring.
Ecological Information
Primary consumer in the food chain; serves as a major food source for hawks, foxes, and coyotes; influences plant diversity through selective grazing and seed dispersal.