Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

The Eastern Cottontail rabbit is common throughout North America. It occurs in habitats rich in vegetation and safe from predators. There are three types of Cottontail rabbits: Desert Cottontail, Mountain Cottontail, and Eastern Cottontail. The Desert type is very adaptable and the most widespread among its relatives; the Mountain type is smaller and lives in mountainous areas; the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit is the biggest of these three types and can be found close to towns and cities.

In the wild, Eastern Cottontail rabbits are nocturnal animals. They spend the daytime in hollows and depressions in the ground and prefer thick vegetation for foraging at dusk and dawn. Unlike the European Rabbit, the Eastern Cottontail rabbit doesn’t dig warrens, but makes forms for safer living. The inside and the roofing of their little homes are usually made of branches, twigs, and dry leaves. Females use their fur to make a soft and warm layer for the young.

The Eastern Cottontail rabbit is named because of its white fluffy tail. Its typical body length is 36 to 50 cm; it normally weighs from 1 to 2 kg. The hind legs of these animals are very long and strong, which allows them to leap and make zig-zags when escaping from predators. The coat color of the Eastern Cottontail is brown or gray on the back and sides. The tips of the ears are white; on the back of the neck, there is an orange or dark brown spot.

Like every species, the Eastern Cottontail rabbit plays an important role in its habitat. It’s a common prey for a number of predators, like foxes, coyotes, badgers, weasels, eagles, and hawks. Eastern Cottontails manage the population of many grasses. For farmers and gardeners, these animals are dangerous pests. Gardens and agricultural lands provide ideal feeding grounds for Cottontail rabbits. To distract them from the garden, you can plant evergreen groves at a considerable distance from the fruit trees. Farmers use many methods of scaring off little pests. The Eastern Cottontail rabbit is very suspicious to strange objects like scarecrows or bright water hoses that look like snakes.