The shy, native rabbit of the Northeast. It lives in thick, brushy places from eastern New York through parts of New England, hiding where branches, young trees, and briars grow close together. At first glance it looks just like the common backyard rabbit many people see (that’s the eastern cottontail, which was brought in by people long ago). But the New England cottontail is different. It is more secretive, keeps to deep cover, and rarely hops out into open lawns. Look closely and you may notice smaller ears, a darker line between the ears, and less rusty color on the neck. Still, these two rabbits can be very hard to tell apart, so the best clue is often the habitat: if it’s a tangle of shrubs and young forest, the native cottontail may be the one you’re seeing.

This rabbit is built for life in a maze. It uses tunnel-like paths under brush called “runs” and slips through thorns as if they weren’t there. It is most active at dawn, dusk, and at night. In summer, it eats grasses, clover, and soft leaves; in winter, it switches to buds, bark, and twigs. Like all rabbits, its teeth never stop growing, so chewing tough stems keeps them just the right length. If you look at clipped twigs in winter, you can sometimes spot a neat, angled bite mark—rabbit work! For safety, the New England cottontail has two main moves: freeze so the mottled fur blends with shadows, or burst away in a fast, zigzag sprint. The white tail flashes like a tiny flag that can confuse a chasing fox or coyote for a split second.

The New England cottontail is kind of demanding when it comes to habitat. This rabbit loses cover when older forests close their canopy and the ground gets shady and open. That is one big reason its numbers fell in many places.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Canada

2018

Presence Uncertain: Québec

United States

2018