Eastern cottontail

Sylvilagus floridanus · The eastern cottontail is a rabbit with a fluffy white tail that lives in open fields and brushy areas from southern Canada through the United States to northern South America.

Also called Eastern cottontail rabbit, Florida cottontail, Molly cottontail, Molly hare.

Eastern cottontail
Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
Eastern cottontail
Photo: Paul Danese, CC BY-SA 4.0
Eastern cottontail
Photo: StBlueD, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderLagomorpha
FamilyLeporidae
GenusSylvilagus
SpeciesSylvilagus floridanus

Where it lives

Fields and brush from southern Canada through the US to Central America and Venezuela.

Fun facts

  • When chased, the eastern cottontail runs in a zigzag pattern and can reach speeds of up to 18 mph (29 km/h).
  • Instead of digging burrows, eastern cottontails rest in a shallow, scratched-out spot in the grass called a form.
  • Baby cottontails are born blind with a white blaze on the forehead, and their eyes open at just 4–7 days.
  • A female cottontail can have 1–7 litters in a year, with an average of 5 kits in each litter.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).