View source for Eastern cottontail

{{Short description|Species of mammal}}
{{speciesbox
| name = Eastern cottontail
| image = 2025-04-27 10 27 04 An Eastern Cottontail Rabbit in a yard along Aquetong Lane in the Mountainview section of Ewing Township, Mercer County, New Jersey (cropped).jpg
| image_caption = ''Sylvilagus floridanus'' in [[New Jersey]]
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref>{{cite iucn |author1=Nielsen, C. |author2=Lanier, H.C. |year=2019 |title=''Sylvilagus floridanus'' |article-number=e.T41299A45191626 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T41299A45191626.en |access-date=18 February 2022}}</ref>
| status2 = G5
| status2_system = TNC
| status2_ref = <ref>{{cite web |title=Sylvilagus floridanus |url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.791124/Sylvilagus_floridanus |website=Natureserve Explorer |access-date=17 April 2024}}</ref>
| genus = Sylvilagus
| species = floridanus
| authority = ([[Joel Asaph Allen|J. A. Allen]], 1890)
| range_map = Eastern Cottontail area.png
| range_map_caption = Eastern cottontail range (includes range of ''[[robust cottontail|S. holzneri]]'')
}}
The '''eastern cottontail''' ('''''Sylvilagus floridanus''''') is a species of [[rabbit]] in the family [[Leporidae]]. It is the most widespread and abundant rabbit species in [[North America]], inhabiting a wide range that extends from southern [[Canada]] throughout most of the [[United States]] and into parts of [[Mexico]], [[Central America]], and the northern regions of [[South America]].<ref name="ADW">{{cite web |last=Mikita |first=K. |title='Sylvilagus floridanus' |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sylvilagus_floridanus/ |website=Animal Diversity Web |access-date=2025-07-25}}</ref><ref name="NG" /> Known for its distinctive fluffy white tail, which resembles a [[cotton ball]] and gives the species its common name, the eastern cottontail typically inhabits open [[Field (agriculture)|field]]s, meadows, and brushy areas where it can easily find cover and food. It is a primarily [[herbivorous]], crepuscular mammal that feeds on [[grass]]es, [[herb]]s, twigs, and bark, and plays an important role in the ecosystem as prey for a variety of predators including [[fox]]es, [[hawks]], and [[owl]]s.<ref name="ADW" /><ref name="NG" /> Due to its adaptability to human-altered landscapes such as [[suburban]] and [[agricultural]] areas, the eastern cottontail has maintained stable population levels and is not considered threatened. It is also well known for its high reproductive rate, with females capable of producing multiple large [[Litter (zoology)|litters]] annually, which contributes to its widespread presence.<ref name="ADW" />

==Taxonomy==
''Sylvilagus floridanus'' is a member of the family [[Leporidae]] within the order [[Lagomorpha]]. It was first formally described by French naturalist [[Charles Alexandre Lesueur]] in 1827.<ref name="MSW3">{{MSW3 Lagomorpha|id=13500330|pages=209–210}}</ref> The genus ''[[Sylvilagus]]'' includes around 15 species of New World cottontail rabbits, which are widespread throughout the Americas.

===Subspecies===
There are at least 17 recognized subspecies of ''Sylvilagus floridanus'', distinguished mainly by geographic distribution and minor morphological differences.<ref name="MSW3"/><ref name="MDD">{{Cite mdd|species=floridanus|genus=Sylvilagus|access-date=2025-07-08}}</ref> These subspecies are generally grouped by region:
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|1=
* North of Mexico
**''Sylvilagus floridanus alacer''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus chapmani''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus floridanus''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus mallurus''
*Mexico and Central America
**''Sylvilagus floridanus aztecus''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus connectens''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus hondurensis''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus macrocorpus''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus orizabae''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus yucatanicus''
*South of Isthmus of Panama
**''Sylvilagus floridanus avius''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus continentis''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus cumanicus''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus margaritae''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus nigronuchalis''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus orinoci''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus purgatus''
**''Sylvilagus floridanus superciliaris''}}

Morphological and genetic variation across populations reflect adaptation to diverse environments, with some populations showing notable differences in size, coloration, and behavior.<ref name="MSW3"/>

==Etymology==
The genus name ''Sylvilagus'' is derived from Latin ''silva'', meaning "forest" or "woodland," and ''lagus'', a form adapted from {{langx|grc|λαγώς}} : {{grc-tr|λαγώς}}, meaning "hare" or "rabbit," thus translating roughly to "woodland hare."<ref>{{cite book |title=The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals |author1=Beolens, Bo|author2= Watkins, Michael|author3=Grayson, Michael|year=2009 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |page=422 |isbn=978-0-8018-9304-9}}</ref>

The species epithet ''floridanus'' means "of Florida," referencing the region where the species was first scientifically identified.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names |author=James A. Jobling |year=2010 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=156 |isbn=978-0-19-960563-7}}</ref>

===Evolution and phylogeny===
The eastern cottontail belongs to the Leporidae family, which includes all rabbits and hares. Within this family, ''Sylvilagus'' is a New World genus that diverged from Old World rabbits and hares millions of years ago.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Matthee |first1=Christine A. |last2=Robinson |first2=Tim J. |year=1999 |title=Phylogeny of the Lagomorphs based on cytochrome b DNA sequences |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=235–247 |doi=10.1006/mpev.1998.0553 |pmid=10082607 }}</ref>

Molecular and morphological studies have identified several distinct species and subspecies within ''Sylvilagus'', highlighting a complex evolutionary history shaped by geographic isolation and environmental adaptation.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |last1=Diersing |first1=Victor E. |last2=Wilson |first2=Don E. |year=2021 |title=Systematics of the mountain-inhabiting cottontails (Sylvilagus) from southwestern United States and northern Mexico (Mammalia: Lagomorpha: Leporidae) |journal=Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington |volume=134 |issue=1 |pages=42–79 |doi=10.2988/006-324X-134.1.42}}</ref>

Fossil records and genetic data suggest the eastern cottontail expanded its range following the last glacial period, taking advantage of cleared forest landscapes and open habitats.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chapman |first1=Joseph A. |last2=Flux |first2=John E.C. |year=1990 |title=Lagomorph phylogeny and systematics |journal=Evolutionary Biology of the Mammals |pages=305–327}}</ref> This species continues to be an important subject in studies of mammalian adaptation and speciation.

==Description==
[[File:Eastern cottontail headshot (30826).jpg|thumb|alt=A photo of a brown rabbit standing in grass in profile cropped to show only the head|Eastern cottontail in [[Brooklyn]], New York, United States]]
The eastern cottontail has a distinctive white spot on its forehead and fur that ranges from reddish-brown to grayish-brown, with large hind feet, long ears, and a short, fluffy white tail.<ref name="Mich">{{cite web |author=Mikita, K. |title=''Sylvilagus floridanus'' |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sylvilagus_floridanus/ |website=Animal Diversity Web |access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref> Its underside is white, and there is a rusty patch near the tail.<ref name="FLMNH">{{cite web |title=FLMNH Mammal Master Database – ''Sylvilagus floridanus'' |url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/scripts/DBs/mammals_pub_proc.asp?output_style=table_type&search_type=1&MaxRecords=25&trys=1&common_name=Eastern%20cottontail%20rabbit |publisher=Florida Museum of Natural History |access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref> It differs from a [[hare]] in its overall smaller size and brownish-gray coloring around the head and neck, with a lighter-colored body and a white underside on the tail.<ref name="Chapman1982"/> The species also has large brown eyes and long ears adapted for detecting predators.<ref name="NG">{{cite web |title=Eastern cottontail rabbit |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/eastern-cottontail-rabbit |website=National Geographic |date=10 May 2011 |access-date=2025-07-24}}</ref> During winter, the eastern cottontail's [[pelage]] becomes more gray than brown.<ref name="Godin1977">{{cite book |author=Godin, Alfred J. |title=Wild mammals of New England |year=1977 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |location=Baltimore, MD}}</ref> Kits (young rabbits) develop a similar coloring after a few weeks but are born with a white blaze running down their forehead, which fades as they mature.<ref name="Chapman1982" />

This rabbit is medium-sized, measuring {{convert|36|-|48|cm|in|abbr=on}} in total length, including a tail that averages {{convert|5.3|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>[http://naturalhistory.uga.edu/~gmnh/gawildlife/index.php?page=speciespages/species_page&key=sfloridanus GAWW: Species Description] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230235156/http://naturalhistory.uga.edu/~gmnh/gawildlife/index.php?page=speciespages%2Fspecies_page&key=sfloridanus |date=2013-12-30 }}. Naturalhistory.uga.edu. Retrieved 2012-12-20.</ref><ref name="UMich">{{cite web |last=Mikita |first=K. |title='Sylvilagus floridanus' |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sylvilagus_floridanus/ |website=Animal Diversity Web |access-date=2025-07-25}}</ref>

Adults typically weigh between {{convert|800|and|2000|g|lb|abbr=on|order=flip}}, with an average of around {{convert|1200|g|lb|abbr=on|order=flip}}. Females tend to be slightly heavier than males, although the sexes broadly overlap in size.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Elder, William H. |author2=Sowls, Lyle K. |year=1942|title=Body Weight and Sex Ratio of Cottontail Rabbits|journal= The Journal of Wildlife Management|volume=6|issue=3|pages=203–207|jstor=3795902|doi=10.2307/3795902}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.depts.ttu.edu/nsrl/mammals-of-texas-online-edition/Accounts_Lagomorpha/Sylvilagus_floridanus.php|title= Eastern Cottontail (''Sylvilagus floridanus'')|website= Nsrl.ttu.edu|access-date= 2012-12-20|publisher=Natural Science Research Laboratory}}</ref> The species exhibits slight geographic variation in body size, with individuals generally increasing in mass from southern to northern latitudes, in line with [[Bergmann's rule]]. For example, adult specimens from the [[Florida Museum of Natural History]] have a mean weight of {{cvt|1.018|kg|lb|order=flip}},<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/scripts/DBs/mammals_pub_proc.asp?output_style=table_type&search_type=1&MaxRecords=25&trys=1&common_name=Eastern%20cottontail%20rabbit |title=FLMNH Mammal Master Database- ''Sylvilagus floridanus'' |publisher=Florida Museum of Natural History |access-date=2014-01-22}}</ref> whereas a study of 346 adults from [[Michigan]] found an average mass of {{cvt|1.445|kg|lb|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite book|author=Craighead, John J. |author2= Craighead Jr., Frank C. |year=1969|title=Hawks, Owls and Wildlife|series= Wildlife Management Institute |edition=Reprint |isbn=978-0-486-22123-6|publisher=Dover Publications}}</ref>

== Range and habitat ==
[[File:Eastern Cottontail rabbit, Rideau River.jpg|thumb|alt=A brown rabbit sitting in snow|Eastern cottontail in winter coat, [[Ottawa]], Ontario, Canada]]

The eastern cottontail inhabits meadows, shrubby areas, and edge habitats throughout the eastern and south-central [[United States]], southern [[Canada]], eastern [[Mexico]], [[Central America]], and northernmost [[South America]]. It is also present on [[Margarita Island]] in the [[Caribbean]]. The species is especially abundant across the Midwest of North America, and its range expanded northward as forests were cleared by settlers.<ref name="Godin1977">{{cite book |author=Godin, Alfred J. |title=Wild mammals of New England |year=1977 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |location=Baltimore, MD}}</ref> Originally absent from [[New England]], it has since been introduced there, where it now competes with the native [[New England cottontail]] (''Sylvilagus transitionalis''). It has also been introduced to parts of [[Oregon]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], and [[British Columbia]].<ref name="Reid2006">{{cite book |last=Reid |first=Fiona A. |year=2006 |title=A Field Guide to Mammals of North America |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-618-83316-0}}</ref> In the 1950s and 1960s, the species was introduced to [[France]] and northern [[Italy]], where it underwent rapid territorial expansion and population growth.<ref name="Godin1977"/>

Populations in the mountainous regions of the [[southwestern United States]] and western [[Mexico]] are now considered a separate species, the [[robust cottontail]] (''S. holzneri'').<ref name=":0" />

Optimal eastern cottontail habitat includes open grassy areas, clearings, and old fields that support abundant green vegetation, with shrubs or hedgerows providing cover.<ref name="Hon1981">Hon, Tip. (1981). "Effects of prescribed fire on furbearers in the South", pp. 121–128 in: Wood, Gene W. (ed.) ''Prescribed fire and wildlife in southern forests: Proceedings of a symposium; 1981 April 6–8''; Myrtle Beach, SC. Georgetown, SC: Clemson University, Belle W. Baruch Forest Science Institute.</ref> Critical habitat components include dense, well-distributed escape cover interspersed with open foraging areas such as pastures or grasslands.<ref name="Allen1984"/> In the western United States, they occupy diverse habitats such as ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, and pinyon (''Pinus'' spp.)–juniper (''Juniperus'' spp.) woodlands, where woody debris, shrubby understories, and patchy cover are important for survival. Eastern cottontails also thrive in agricultural and suburban environments, especially near [[fencerow]]s, forest edges, and thickets. They can be found in swamps and marshes but generally avoid dense forests.<ref name="Godin1977"/>

==Behavior and ecology==
The eastern cottontail is a territorial species that relies on speed and agility to evade predators. When chased, it typically escapes in a zigzag pattern and can reach speeds of up to {{convert|18|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Godin1977"/> Cottontails favor habitats where they can feed in the open but quickly retreat to cover when threatened. Preferred environments include [[forest]] edges, [[swamp]]s, brushy [[thicket]]s, [[hedgerow]]s, and open fields with nearby shelter. Instead of digging burrows, eastern cottontails rest in a ''form''—a shallow, scratched-out depression in grass or beneath dense vegetation—and may use [[groundhog]] (''Marmota monax'') burrows during severe weather or heavy snow.<ref name="Merritt1987">{{cite book |last=Merritt |first=Joseph E. |year=1987 |title=Guide to the Mammals of Pennsylvania |publisher=University of Pittsburgh Press |page=123 |isbn=0-8229-5393-5}}</ref>

Eastern cottontails are mostly [[crepuscular]] and [[nocturnal]], foraging primarily at dawn, dusk, and night. However, they can be seen during the day, particularly in overcast or foggy conditions.<ref name="Nowak1983">Nowak, Ronald M.; Paradiso, John L. (1983). ''Walker's Mammals of the World''. 4th edition. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.</ref>
They spend much of the daytime resting under vegetative cover and often remain motionless for extended periods to avoid detection.<ref name="Godin1977"/> Activity is year-round, as the species does not hibernate.<ref name="Nowak1983"/>

===Home range===
Eastern cottontail home ranges are roughly circular in open and uniform habitats. Individuals generally remain within the same range throughout life, although shifts can occur due to weather or vegetation changes.<ref name="Allen1984">{{cite report |last=Allen |first=A. W. |year=1984 |title=Habitat suitability index models: eastern cottontail |url=https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/fwsobs82_10_66 |series=FWS/OBS 82/10.66 |publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |location=Washington, DC}}</ref> In [[New England]], home ranges average {{convert|1.4|acres|ha|abbr=off}} for males and {{convert|1.2|acres|ha|abbr=off}} for females but can vary between {{convert|0.5|to|40|acres|ha|abbr=off}} depending on habitat quality and season.<ref name="Godin1977"/> Male home ranges expand during the breeding season, with spring ranges in southwestern Wisconsin averaging {{convert|6.9|acres|ha|abbr=off}} and peaking at {{convert|10|acres|ha|abbr=off}} in early summer before decreasing again in late summer.<ref name="Trent1974">{{cite journal |last1=Trent |first1=Tracey T. |last2=Rongstad |first2=Orrin J. |year=1974 |title=Home range and survival of cottontail rabbits in southwestern Wisconsin |journal=Journal of Wildlife Management |volume=38 |issue=3 |pages=459–472 |doi=10.2307/3800877 |jstor=3800877}}</ref> Daily movements usually cover only 10–20% of their total range.<ref name="Allen1984"/>

In southeastern Wisconsin, male ranges overlapped by up to 50%, while females overlapped less than 25%. Females defend the immediate area around their nest, whereas males compete aggressively for dominance and access to mates.<ref name="Trent1974"/>

===Cover requirements===
Brush piles, thickets, stone walls, and dense herbaceous growth are crucial for shelter and predator avoidance. Eastern cottontails rarely dig burrows except when constructing nests, preferring abandoned dens of other animals, such as woodchucks.<ref name="Godin1977"/> Seasonal cover use changes with plant availability: in winter, when deciduous vegetation is bare, they rely heavily on woody cover.<ref name="Chapman1982"/> In Florida pine flatwoods, they use low patches of [[saw palmetto]] (''Serenoa repens'') as cover.<ref name="Komarek1963">Komarek, Roy (1963). "Fire and the changing wildlife habitat". In: ''Proceedings of the 2nd Annual Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference''; March 14–15, 1963; Tallahassee, FL. Tall Timbers Research Station.</ref>

[[File:Eastern cotton tail sitting.jpg|thumb|Eastern cottontail in its nest]]
Nests are usually built in grassy fields, hayfields, or weedy areas near brushy cover. In Iowa, nests were most commonly found within {{convert|70|yd|m|0|abbr=on}} of shrubs in herbaceous vegetation at least {{convert|4|in|cm|0|abbr=on}} tall.<ref name="Chapman1982"/> The average nest cavity is {{convert|5|in|cm|0|abbr=on}} deep, {{convert|5|in|cm|0|abbr=on}} wide, and {{convert|7|in|cm|0|abbr=on}} long, and is lined with dry grasses and the mother's fur.<ref name="Nowak1983"/><ref name="Wainright1969">{{cite report |last=Wainright |first=Larry C. |year=1969 |title=A literature review on cottontail reproduction |series=Special Report 19 |publisher=Colorado Department of Game, Fish and Parks |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zgELAQVDJjEC}}</ref>

===Reproduction===
[[File:2025-08-19 11 43 22 Baby Eastern Cottontail Rabbits in a nest in a yard along Aquetong Lane in the Mountainview section of Ewing Township, Mercer County, New Jersey.jpg |thumb|Litter and nesting material]]
Eastern cottontails reach sexual maturity at 2–3 months of age. Breeding season varies by latitude and climate, beginning as early as January in the southern United States and around March in New England, continuing through late summer.<ref name="Chapman1982">{{cite book|author1=Chapman, Joseph A.|author2= Hockman, J. Gregory|author3= Edwards, William R. |title=Cottontails: ''Sylvilagus floridanus'' and allies |year=1982 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |pages=83–123 |isbn=978-0-8018-2353-4}}</ref> Mating is promiscuous, with males competing for access to females.<ref name="Godin1977"/>

The nest is typically a slanted hole in soft soil lined with fur and grasses, measuring about {{convert|7.1|x|4.9|x|4.7|in|cm|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Chapman1982"/> Gestation lasts 25–35 days (average 28). Kits are born blind with fine hair and a white blaze on the forehead, which fades as they mature. Their eyes open at 4–7 days, and they begin leaving the nest by 12–16 days. Weaning occurs by 4–5 weeks, and dispersal begins around 7 weeks.<ref name="Wainright1969"/><ref name="Nowak1983"/>

Females can have 1–7 litters per year (averaging 3–4), with 3–8 kits per litter (average 5). In southern states, breeding is nearly continuous, while northern populations have shorter seasons but larger litters.<ref name="Nowak1983"/><ref name="ChapmanFlux1990">Chapman, Joseph A.; Flux, J. E. C. (1990). "Lagomorphs: rabbits, hares and pikas". In Wilson, Don E.; Reeder, DeeAnn M. (eds.). ''Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference'' (2nd ed.). Smithsonian Institution Press. pp. 47–63. ISBN 978-1-56098-217-2.</ref>

===Diet===
[[File:Eastern cottontail magee marsh 5.13.23 DSC 9947-topaz-denoiseraw.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A rabbit eating clover, turning toward the camera|An eastern cottontail feeding in [[Magee Marsh Wildlife Area]]]]
Eastern cottontails feed primarily on a wide variety of plants, with some studies documenting 70–145 plant species in their diet.<ref name="Dalke1941">{{cite journal|last1=Dalke|first1=Paul D.|last2=Sime|first2=Palmer R.|year=1941|title=Food habits of the eastern and New England cottontails|journal=Journal of Wildlife Management|volume=5|issue=2|pages=216–228|doi=10.2307/3795589|jstor=3795589|doi-access=free}}</ref> They prefer tender herbaceous vegetation, such as grasses, clovers (''Trifolium'' spp.), crabgrasses (''Digitaria'' spp.), and wild rye (''Elymus'' spp.).<ref name="UMich">{{cite web |last=Mikita |first=K. |title='Sylvilagus floridanus' |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sylvilagus_floridanus/ |website=Animal Diversity Web |access-date=2025-07-25}}</ref> In Connecticut, their summer diet includes alfalfa, timothy (''Phleum pratense''), quackgrass (''Elytrigia repens''), ragweed (''Ambrosia psilostachya''), goldenrod (''Solidago'' spp.), plantains (''Plantago'' spp.), [[chickweed]] (''Stellaria media''), and [[dandelion]] (''Taraxacum officinale'').<ref name="UMich"/>

During winter or when snow covers vegetation, cottontails browse on twigs, buds, and bark of woody plants such as [[gray birch]] (''Betula populifolia''), [[red maple]] (''Acer rubrum''), and [[smooth sumac]] (''Rhus glabra'').<ref name="Dalke1941"/> They are also [[coprophagous]], re-ingesting soft fecal pellets to extract additional nutrients.<ref name="Chapman1982"/><ref name="Nowak1983"/>
{{clear}}

==Mortality==
In [[Kansas]], the leading cause of mortality among radiotracked eastern cottontails was predation (43%), followed by deaths related to the research process (19%) and [[tularemia]] (18%).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=Rhonda J. |last2=Gress |first2=Robert J. |last3=Spencer |first3=Dwight L. |date=Spring 1983 |title=Mortality and population density of cottontail rabbits at Ross Natural History Reservation, Lyon County, Kansas |url=https://esirc.emporia.edu/bitstream/handle/123456789/331/156.pdf?sequence=1 |journal=Emporia State Research Studies |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=5–46 |access-date=2020-12-05}}</ref>
A significant source of mortality is collisions with vehicles. In [[Missouri]], it has been estimated that approximately ten eastern cottontails are killed annually per mile of road, with the peak of highway mortality occurring in spring (March through May), when roadside vegetation greens up before adjacent fields and attracts rabbits to the roadside.<ref name=r52>Rue, Leonard Lee, III. (1965). ''Cottontail''. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company.</ref>

Annual adult survival is estimated to be around 20%. Average lifespan in the wild is about 15 months, though the longest-lived recorded wild individual reached five years. In captivity, eastern cottontails have lived up to nine years.<ref name=r48>Nowak, Ronald M.; Paradiso, John L. (1983). ''Walker's Mammals of the World''. 4th edition. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.</ref>

Eastern cottontails host a variety of [[ectoparasite]]s and endoparasites, including [[fleas]], [[ticks]], [[lice]], [[cestodes]], [[nematodes]], and [[trematodes]]. They are also susceptible to parasitism by gray [[flesh fly]] larvae, [[botfly]] larvae, and diseases such as tularemia, Shope's fibroma virus, [[torticollis]], and cutaneous [[streptothricosis]].<ref name="r27">{{cite book |last=Godin |first=Alfred J. |year=1977 |title=Wild mammals of New England |publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press |location=Baltimore, MD}}</ref> A comprehensive summary of eastern cottontail diseases and parasites is provided by Chapman et al.<ref name="r9">{{cite book |last1=Chapman |first1=Joseph A. |last2=Willner |first2=Gary R. |year=1978 |title=Sylvilagus floridanus |editor1=Chapman, J.A. |editor2=Flux, J.E.C.|publisher=IUCN}}</ref>

===Predators===
The eastern cottontail is preyed upon by a wide variety of natural and introduced predators, forming a significant part of the diets of many carnivores and raptors in eastern North America. Common predators include domestic cats (''[[Felis catus]]'') and dogs (''[[Canis lupus familiaris]]''), [[fox]]es (''[[Vulpes]]'' and ''[[Urocyon]]'' spp.), [[coyote]] (''C. latrans''), [[bobcat]] (''Lynx rufus''), [[weasel]]s (''Mustela'' spp.), [[raccoon]] (''Procyon lotor''), [[mink]] (''Neogale vison''), [[great horned owl]] (''Bubo virginianus''), [[barred owl]] (''Strix varia''), [[hawk]]s (particularly ''Buteo'' spp.), [[corvid]]s (''Corvus'' spp.), and various [[snake]]s.<ref name=r27/>

Nestlings are especially vulnerable to predation by [[raccoon]]s, [[badger]]s (''Taxidea taxus''), [[skunk]]s (''Mephitis'' and ''Spilogale'' spp.), [[American crow|crows]] (''Corvus brachyrhynchos''), and [[Virginia opossum|Virginia opossums]] (''Didelphis virginiana'').<ref name=r52/> In central [[Missouri]], eastern cottontails made up the majority of prey biomass consumed by [[red-tailed hawk]]s (''Buteo jamaicensis'') during the nesting season. In [[Pennsylvania]], the [[great horned owl]] is considered the primary predator.<ref name=r52/>

In the [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]], eastern cottontails comprise between 7% and 25% of the diet of the [[northern goshawk]] (''Accipiter gentilis''). In [[Texas]], they are most heavily preyed upon by coyotes in early spring and fall. In southwestern [[North Dakota]], eastern and desert cottontails (''Sylvilagus auduboni'') are a key prey item for bobcats.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Trevor|first1=John T.|last2=Seabloom|first2=Robert W.|last3=Allen|first3=Stephen H.|year=1989|title=Food habits in relation to sex and age of bobcats from southwestern North Dakota|journal=Prairie Naturalist|volume=21|issue=3|pages=163–168}}</ref>

Juveniles are rarely taken by [[short-eared owl]]s (''Asio flammeus''), and only trace remains of eastern cottontails have been detected in the scat of [[American black bear|black bears]] (''Ursus americanus'').<ref>Hellgren, Eric C.; Vaughan, Michael R. (1988). [https://seafwa.org/sites/default/files/journal-articles/HELLGREN-295-305.pdf "Seasonal food habits of black bears in Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia – North Carolina"]. ''Proceedings of the Annual Conference of Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies''. 42: 295–305.</ref>

==References==
{{USDA|article=Sylvilagus floridanus|url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/animals/mammal/syfl/all.html}}
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081222020721/http://www.rivernen.ca/animalcr.htm Cotton Tail Rabbit], World Wide Outreach Program of The Rouge Foundation
* [http://www.ofnc.ca/fletcher/flora-fauna/rabbits/index_e.php Eastern Cottontail] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604223139/http://www.ofnc.ca/fletcher/flora-fauna/rabbits/index_e.php |date=2016-06-04 }}, Fletcher Wildlife Garden

{{Lagomorpha|L.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q774716}}
{{Portal bar|Mammals}}

[[Category:Sylvilagus]]
[[Category:Mammals of Central America]]
[[Category:Mammals of Colombia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Mexico]]
[[Category:Mammals of Canada]]
[[Category:Mammals of the United States]]
[[Category:Mammals of Venezuela]]
[[Category:Mammals of the Caribbean]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1890]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Joel Asaph Allen]]
[[Category:Least concern biota of the United States]]