Sylvilagus – Cottontail rabbits

The cottontail rabbits can be found from Canada to South America and come in many kinds—eastern, desert, brush, marsh, and more—but they share a simple look: soft brown fur that blends with weeds and shrubs, long ears that act like cooling fans in hot weather, and strong back legs built for sudden, zigzag runs. What makes cottontails different from their burrow-loving European cousins is their home life. They don’t live in crowded underground towns called warrens. Instead, they hide in shallow nests, grass “forms,” brush piles, or old burrows left by other animals.

Most of the time, they are solitary, meeting only to mate, which suits their favorite places best—edges where field meets woods, where a few quick hops take them from open grass to cover. Their famous tail isn’t just cute; when they dash away, the white flash can distract a fox for a split second, giving the rabbit a head start.

Cottontails are plant eaters through and through. In warm months, they nibble grasses, clover, and tender shoots; in winter, they switch to bark, buds, and twigs when green food is scarce. Like all rabbits, their teeth never stop growing, so daily chewing keeps those teeth the right length. They also have a clever way to squeeze every bit of goodness from a leafy diet: a few hours after eating, they produce soft, nutrient-rich pellets and eat them again, sending the food through a second time for extra energy (it sounds odd, but it’s a rabbit superpower). Their eyes sit high and to the sides of the head, giving a wide field of view to spot hawks, owls, coyotes, snakes, and neighborhood cats. When danger is close, they freeze, trusting their camouflage; when it’s too close, they explode into motion, springing and swerving so fast that a straight-running predator can overshoot them.