Sylvilagus floridanus

If you live in the eastern United States, you've probably seen eastern cottontail rabbits around your neighborhood, since it's a common suburban mammal. Unlike Peter Rabbit, they do not dig burrows. Cottontails rest in small hollows called forms during the day and forage at night. You can tell rabbits have been eating your shrubs, because their bites make 45° angle cuts (deer make straight cuts and smash the ends of vegetation). On late winter nights, you may see these rabbits performing their unusual mating dance: they jump over each other, urinating on their mate.

Cool Links:

Animal Diversity Web: Eastern Cottontail - An extensive guide including photos of browse marks, tracks, scat, and Quicktime spinning skulls.

Discover Life: Eastern Cottontail - This guide includes skull illustrations and range maps in North America and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Desert Cottontail - Habitat, Habits, and interesting facts about the eastern cottontail's desert cousin at DesertUSA.

back to Nature Notebook