Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) lives in eastern woodland edges across North America. It feeds on grass and leaves. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Eastern Cottontail
- When a predator gives chase, an eastern cottontail can hit a top speed of 18 mph (29 km/h) and darts away in a frantic zig-zag to slip into nearby brush or a shallow depression. This burst of speed and erratic path makes it a hard target for hawks, foxes, showing why the rabbit's agility is its primary defense against a wide range of predators.
- A female eastern cottontail can produce up to seven litters a year, each averaging five kits. This extraordinary reproductive output fuels the species' status as the most abundant rabbit in North America and helps it quickly recolonize habitats after disturbances such as fire or urban development.
- Eastern cottontails thrive in human-altered landscapes, from suburban lawns to agricultural field edges, because they need a patchwork of open foraging ground and dense cover. This reliance on mixed habitats explains why the rabbit has expanded its range into the Midwest, the West Coast, and parts of Europe.
- Adult eastern cottontails weigh between 0.8 kg (1.8 lb) and 2.0 kg (4.4 lb), but body mass climbs noticeably from south to north, following Bergmann's rule.
- A male's home range can swell to nearly 10 acres (4 ha) in early summer, then shrink again as vegetation changes, while females keep a tighter 1.2-acre (0.49-ha) core around their nest.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeNorth America
HabitatEastern woodland edges
DietGrass and leaves
About the Eastern Cottontail
In the warm, golden light of dawn, the Eastern Cottontail emerges from its hiding places, its large brown eyes watchful as it navigates the dense underbrush with a quiet, fluid grace. With each gentle bound, its powerful hind legs propel it effortlessly across the landscape, a soft blur of fur and motion as it seeks out the tender shoots and leaves that sustain it. As it moves, the cottontail's very existence seems a testament to the enduring power of adaptability, its unassuming presence a reminder of the beauty that can be found in even the most familiar of creatures.
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Eastern Cottontail photographed on Feravox
