The cottontail rabbits

The Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is one of the most common rabbit species in North America.
The cottontail rabbits are the 16 lagomorph species in the genus Sylvilagus, found in the Americas.

In appearance most cottontail rabbits closely resemble the wild European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Most members of the genus have a stub tail with a white underside that shows when they are retreating, giving them their name "cottontails." However, this feature is not present in all cottontails (for example, the underside of the Brush Rabbit's tail is grey), nor is it unique to the genus (for example, the European Rabbit also has a white scut).

The genus is widely distributed across North America, Central America, and South America, though most species are confined to particular regions. Most (though not all) species live in nests called forms, and all have altricial young.

Cottontail rabbits show a greater resistance to myxomatosis than European rabbits

The Eastern Cottontail is chunky red-brown or gray-brown in appearance with large hind feet, long ears and a short fluffy white tail. Its underside fur is white. There is a rusty patch on the tail.
Its appearance differs from that of a hare in that it has a brownish-gray coloring around the head and neck. The body is lighter color with a white underside on the tail. It has large brown eyes and large ears to see and listen for danger. In winter the cottontail's pelage is more gray than brown. The kittens develop the same coloring after a few weeks, but they also have a white blaze that goes down their forehead; this marking eventually disappears. The average adult weighs about 2-4 pounds; however the female tends to be heavier.

The Eastern Cottontail can be found in meadows and shrubby areas in the eastern and south-central United States, southern Canada, eastern Mexico, Central America and northernmost South America. It is abundant in Midwest North America, and has been found in New Mexico and Arizona. Its range expanded north as forests were cleared by settlers. Originally, it was not found in New England, but it has been introduced there and now competes for habitat there with the native New England Cottontail.

The Eastern Cottontail eats green vegetation such as grasses and clover in summer and bark, buds and twigs in winter. Its diet includes grasses, fruits, and vegetables in the spring and summer, and twigs, bark, dogwoods and maple trees in the winter. This animal is active at night; it does not hibernate in winter. People also hunt it for food in many parts of its range; its fur is also used for clothing. On farms and in gardens, the Eastern Cottontail is usually considered a pest and is often trapped or shot to protect plants.

Mating occurs from February to September. Males will mate with more than one female. Female rabbits have 2 to 4 large litters of up to 9 young^{[citation needed]}, called kits or kittens, in a year. The female builds a nest in the ground lined with grass and fur. After the female has given birth to her offspring, she can mate again immediately thereafter. The kittens are weaned after 3 weeks and leave the nest after seven weeks. The kittens then reach mating age after three months.

Hunting and predation prevent the rabbit population from growing out of control. Only about 20-25% of young rabbits remain alive within a year after birth and 85% of adults or young are killed every year by predators (including humans)^{[citation needed]}. Regular predators include hawks (especially red-tailed hawks), eagles, owls (especially great horned owls), red foxes, coyotes, bobcats, canadian lynxes and weasels.

The Eastern Cottontail is a very territorial animal. It is nocturnal and is also active during early dawn and late dusk. When running, it can jump from 15 feet, which can aid in avoiding predators^{[citation needed]}. When chased, it runs in a zigzag pattern so the animal chasing it will lose its scent and so the rabbit is harder to follow. It can run up to 18 miles per hour^{[citation needed]}. The cottontail prefers an area where it can hide quickly but be out in the open. Forests, swamps, thickets, bushes or open areas where it can dig a burrow are optimal habitation sites for this species.