Eastern Cottontail
Eastern Cottontail
Description: Plump, brown or reddish brown rabbit with round white tail. White eye ring is usually present.
Reproduction: Young rabbits are nursed in a nest of grasses and fur. They soon leave the nest to forage on their own.
Habitat: forests, fields, gardens, and are often seen on lawns.
Diet: Shoots, buds, weeds and garden plants; in winter diet is mainly bark and pithy stems such as black berry canes.
Defenses: Camouflage is their best defense but they can run at high speeds to escape danger. Often sits tight until closely approached. They will not enter water normally but can swim. Predators include coyotes, foxes, red-tailed hawks, owls and humans.
Reproduction: Young rabbits are nursed in a nest of grasses and fur. They soon leave the nest to forage on their own.
Habitat: forests, fields, gardens, and are often seen on lawns.
Diet: Shoots, buds, weeds and garden plants; in winter diet is mainly bark and pithy stems such as black berry canes.
Defenses: Camouflage is their best defense but they can run at high speeds to escape danger. Often sits tight until closely approached. They will not enter water normally but can swim. Predators include coyotes, foxes, red-tailed hawks, owls and humans.