The Eastern Cottontail Rabbit
Order : Lagomorpha
Family : Leporidae
Species : Sylvilagus floridanus
DESCRIPTION
The Eastern cottontail is named for its...fluffy white tail. It is a medium-sized rabbit and the nape of the neck and back base of ears are rusty colored. They have very keen sight and hearing. Their eyes are located on the sides of the head for wide peripheral vision. But this makes it difficult for them to see directly in front of them. Their ears are large, pivotal and are cupped to detect faint sounds. They are not rodents, they are lagomorphs. They have an extra pair of incisors.
STATS
Average Adult weight : 1.15 kg (2.53 lbs)
Average Adult Length: 18.0 inches
Maximum longevity : 10 years (potential life span is 3 -5 years)
Female maturity :123 days (about 4 months of age)
Male maturity : 100 days (about 3 months of age)
Gestation : 28-30 days
Average Litter size : 5 (can have up to 8)
Litters per year : 4 - 5
Interval between litters : 28 - 30 days
Average Weight at birth : 40 grams (0.088 lbs)
BREEDING FACTS
Breeding occurs from late Feburary to early September
They are a prolific breeder. She can mate right after giving birth to a litter.
LOCATIONS/HOME HABITATS
They are found throughout the eastern two-thirds of the United States and south through Mexico and are best-known and the most widely distributed rabbit of North America.
They populate edges of open fields and meadows with areas of dense high grass, in wood thickets, along fence rows, forest edges, and the borders of marshy areas.
Their home range varies greatly with the quality of habitat, but generally averages about three acres for females and eight acres for males.
BABIES
They are very hard to hand raise due to the stress caused by human contact and health issues due to wrong foods. Even experienced rehabbers have difficulties.
They are born blind, naked, and helpless but grow rapidly. Their fur will start to appear/grow 24 hours after birth.
Infant rabbits are left alone for most of the day while the mother goes off in search of food. The mother will return to the nest to feed her babies at night when there are no predators or dangers around. During the day, she stays at a safe distance to keep an eye on the nest but to avoid drawing attention to herself or the babies.
They leave the nest after only two to three weeks to explore.
They are weaned and totally independent of their mother at four to five weeks.
About half of the eastern cottontail population show a white, star-like shape on the forehead while a youngster.
FOODS
Is a herbivore that forages mainly at night. In summer, they feed almost entirely on tender grasses, herbs, crops such as peas, beans, and lettuce. In winter, they feed on bark, twigs,buds of shrubs and young trees.
Rabbits frequently ingest their own feces (cecotrophs) (coprophagy). This activity recycles previously unabsorbed nutrients vital to the health of the rabbit.
BEHAVIORS / ABILIITIES
They are active all year long, they do not hibernate.
Females do not dig out nest burrows, they instead make a slight depression in the ground in an area of dense grass for concealment. The nest is lined with fur and dry grass.
Adults are usually solitary by nature except when a female is caring for its young.
When danger is sensed, they will usually freeze in place using its camoflaged fur to hide until the danger has passed, but they will flush and run if approached too closely.
They can achieve speeds up to 18 miles per hour over a short distance. They often zig-zag to confuse a pursuing predator.
Although they usually do not take to the water, rabbits are good swimmers.
They will thump the ground with their hind feet regularly, probably as a means of communication.
When playing, breeding, or fighting they often make low purring, growling, or grunting sounds. If captured by a predator, the animal may produce a loud, shrill scream.
LIFE FACTS
On the average, 15% of the young will survive their first year in the wild. Approximately 85% of all the rabbits (adult to newborns) will die each year.
Because of their high productivity rate, it is an important link in the food chain and a principle prey item for many species. It is also a popular game species throughout its range. Depending on its availability, it is considered a buffer prey species, meaning if rabbit numbers are high, predators will concentrate on them and reduce the pressure on other prey species.
Internal parasites that affect them include tapeworms, roundworms, and flukes.
External parasites that affect include fleas, ticks, lice and fly bots.
The most common serious disease that affects rabbits is Tularemia or “rabbit fever”. It is spread by contaminated drinking water and external parasites, rabbit fever affects the liver and spleen and is almost always fatal.
Rabbits do not carry rabies.
