[7], In southeastern Wisconsin home ranges of males overlapped by up to 50%, but female home ranges did not overlap by more than 25% and actual defense of range by females occurred only in the immediate area of the nest. State Ranking Justification. When the population of any land animal declines in response to the loss and fragmentation of its habitat, smaller populations (sometimes called sub-popul… the New England cottontail is found. Its underside fur is white. “The eastern cottontail population is large and thriving, so while they may take an overall hit, they won’t be decimated because their population is so high,” Wojick said. Despite that, they have one blind spot which is located right in front of their nose. [3], The eastern cottontail home range is roughly circular in uniform habitats. Habitat and Diet: … They are associated with human-wildlife conflict due to vegetation damage. It has large brown eyes and large ears to see and listen for danger. In Vermont, snow cover limits the distribution and densities of the cottontail population. "A literature review on cottontail reproduction". for 75 years. eastern cottontails will also have black blazes. … [6] The essential components of eastern cottontail habitat are an abundance of well-distributed escape cover (dense shrubs) interspersed with more open foraging areas such as grasslands and pastures. Kits are born with all their fur and their eyes closed. ), raccoon (Procyon lotor), mink (M. vison), great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), barred owl (Strix varia), hawks (principally Buteo spp. [3], Predators that take nestlings include raccoon, badger (Taxidea taxus), skunks (Mephitis and Spilogale spp. Although Eastern cottontails are not currently threatened they suffer from changes in their habitat, predation, and hunting pressure. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. The eastern cottontail (EC) Sylvilagus floridanus was introduced into the U.S. Northeast in the early 1900s and uses similar habitat … [11] Eastern cottontails are most active when visibility is limited, such as rainy or foggy nights. The speedy rabbit zooms into the nearby woods, easily escaping the potential predator. Eastern cottontails also consume many domestic crops. The eastern cottontail breeding season begins later with higher latitudes and elevations. ), chickweed (Stellaria media), and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). Litters usually disperse at about 7 weeks and reproductive maturity occurs at about 2 to 3 months of age. New England cottontails are slightly smaller and have smaller ears that are black-edged. The young are born after a thirty day gestation period and are dependent upon the doe for food for approximately two weeks. [4] In the mid-1960s, the eastern cottontail was introduced to northern Italy, where it displayed a rapid territorial expansion and increase in population density. Currently, this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing. [21], Annual adult survival is estimated at 20%. Its range expanded north as forests were cleared by settlers. The cause of the decline has been the loss of … The cottontail prefers an area where it can hide quickly but be out in the open. [7] Eastern cottontails probably use woody cover more during the winter, particularly in areas where cover is provided by herbaceous vegetation in summer. Rabbits have almost a 360-degree vision and are able to see behind them. Hearing an incoming predator before they get close enough to attack is the primary defense mechanism of cottontail rabbits. Eastern cottontails are herbivores (graminivores, folivores, frugivores); their diet is varied and largely dependent on availability. They are active year-round and do not hibernate. This type of habitat has become fragmented across the region and today occurs in small patches subdivided by roads, development, and non-suitable habitats, including forests and fields. Fun Facts for Kids Eastern cottontails are named for their short and fluffy tails that look like cotton. If you see a rabbit in Virginia, chances are that it is an eastern cottontail. During the dormant season, or when green vegetation is covered with snow, they consume twigs, buds, and bark of woody vegetation. • The eastern cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus, is present in all 120 Kentucky counties. It is the most common rabbit species in North America. "Fire and the changing wildlife habitat", pp. An eastern cottontail rabbit hides in thick cover. Its range expanded north as forests were cleared by settlers. This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Department of Agriculture document: .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}"Sylvilagus floridanus". Chapman, Joseph A.; Hockman, J. Gregory; Edwards, William R. (1982). [11][19] In New England female eastern cottontails have three or four litters per year. The average measurements are: length 7.09 in (18 cm), width 4.9 in (12 cm), and depth 4.71 in (12 cm). It has a distinct 2-inch-diameter white tail. Young begin to move out of the nest for short trips by 12 to 16 days and are completely weaned and independent by four to five weeks. [23] A major cause of eastern cottontail mortality is collision with automobiles. Cottontail rabbits play … [24], Juvenile eastern cottontails are rare in the diet of short-eared owls (Asio flammeus). The … Females do not stay in the nest with their kits but return to the opening of the nest to nurse, usually twice a day. In New York the breeding season occurs from February to September, in Connecticut from mid-March to mid-September. However, most are brown, tan, or grey, in color, and relatively small. However, more recent changes in intensity of agriculture, which have reduced the amount and size of areas of suitable habitat, have contributed to a decline in eastern cottontail populations [ 1 , 25 ]. The breeding season varies depending on the location and the elevation but generally occurs between February and September. The primary reason for this decline is loss of good habitat. [3], The nest is a slanting hole dug in soft soil and lined with vegetation and white fur from the mother's underside. The success of cottontails in spreading microparasites is probably related to their massive release for … "Cottontails: Komarek, Roy. "Seasonal food habits of black bears in Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia – North Carolina". [21] Males will mate with more than one female. The cottontail bunny eats plants, is most active at dusk and dawn, and provides a major link in food webs. Population densities are highest when there is suitable habitat at a sufficient scale, typi-cally consisting of a patchwork of farmland and … It has also been i… Historically, the highest populations have been in the Knobs/Outer Bluegrass Region and the Eastern Coalfields. There are several species of cottontail rabbit, but the eastern cottontail is the most common. [21] In the Southwest cottontails including eastern cottontail comprise 7 to 25% of the diets of northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). The cottontail's usual home is a resting place or "form" concealed in a dense clump of grass, under a brush pile, or in a thicket. "Effects of prescribed fire on furbearers in the South", pp. Cottontails will also turn the food with their nose to find the cleanest part of the vegetation (free of sand and inedible parts) to begin their meal. There is a rusty patch on the tail. In Texas, eastern cottontails are preyed on by coyotes more heavily in early spring and in fall than in summer or winter. One way to reduce the potential for damage caused by rabbits is to remove potential places that rabbits might take cover. In some areas of their range, these rabbits are threatened by livestock competition and collisions with automobiles. [19] Other favored species include clovers (Trifolium spp.) The annual productivity of females may be as high as 35 young. Helping the cottontail The New England cottontail is the subject of research and habitat management in New York and the New England states. ), and Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana). [7] Habitat parameters important for eastern cottontails in ponderosa pine, mixed species, and pinyon (Pinus spp. Population Density and Habitat Use of the Introduced Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) Compared to the Native European Hare (Lepus europaeus) Sandro Bertolino1,*, Aurelio Perrone2, Laura Gola3, and Ramona Viterbi4 1DIVAPRA (Department of Protection and Exploitation of Agricultural Resources) Entomology and Zoology, Via L. da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy 2Wildlife Science, … 2. [11] Eastern cottontail young are born with a very fine coat of hair and are blind. Leporids including eastern cottontails are coprophagous, producing two types of fecal pellets, one of which is consumed. When feeding cottontail rabbits typically only use their nose to move and adjust the position of the food that they place directly in front of their front paws on the ground. Cottontail populations have declined over the past fifty years or so. Females do not stay in the nest with the young but return to the opening of the nest to nurse, usually twice a day. They are active year-round and typically live in one home range throughout their lifetime. They have big eyes, long ears, and large hind legs and feet. … The distribution and abundance of young forest habitat and NEC populations have declined. 35–43 in: Nowak, Ronald M.; Paradiso, John L. (1983). In winter the cottontail's pelage is more gray than brown. During the 1999-2000 season, Minnesota hunters harvested about 60,000 cottontails. In Missouri, it was estimated that ten eastern cottontails are killed annually per mile of road. While this would suggest areas with cottontail rabbits would be overrun by them, but this isn't the case. [5], Optimal eastern cottontail habitat includes open grassy areas, clearings, and old fields supporting abundant green grasses and herbs, with shrubs in the area or edges for cover. The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Eastern cottontail total population size. (1981). New England and eastern cottontails are almost identical in appearance, except for a slight variation in color. [13] In the South, female eastern cottontails have more litters per year (up to seven) but fewer young per litter. [17], The eastern cottontail is a very territorial animal. [9] The average period of gestation is 28 days, ranging from 25 to 35 days. Wild cottontails have a life expectancy of less than two years. They are usually found in and around farms including fields, pastures, open woods, thickets associated with fencerows, wooded thickets, forest edges, and suburban areas with adequate food and cover. The kits develop the same coloring after a few weeks, but they also have a white blaze that goes down their forehead; this marking eventually disappears. The eastern cottontail rabbit is a midsize rabbit that generally resides throughout eastern North America, from Canada to Mexico. They are abundant in Midwest North America and have been found in New Mexico and Arizona. Major predators of eastern cottontail include domestic cats and dogs, foxes (Vulpes and Urocyon spp. Eastern cottontail habitat is found in valley farmland regions where fields and pastures are interspersed with hedgerows and low, dense brush. Captive eastern cottontails have lived to at least nine years of age. Regarding predators , it’s a hard-knock life for a cottontail. [9][11], In summer, eastern cottontails consume tender green herbaceous vegetation when it is available. About half of the eastern cottontail population shows a white, star-like shape on the forehead, while New England cottontails do not exhibit this trait. Natural predators, such as coyotes, foxes, birds of prey, … [19] In New England breeding occurs from March to September. Due to their often large populations in Eastern North America, they form a major component of several predators' diets. Since, a few additional eastern cottontails have been documented in Maine, so their population is likely to expand in the future. The population has reached the “carrying capacity” of the … They are very hard to tell apart from the eastern cottontail. ... Population Status. [7] The nest is concealed in grasses or weeds. 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T41299A45191626.en, "Mortality and population density of cottontail rabbits at Ross Natural History Resevation, Lyon County, Kansas", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eastern_cottontail&oldid=994161031, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from public domain works of the United States Government, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 December 2020, at 11:12. Eastern cottontails typically inhabit one home range throughout their lifetime, but home range shifts in response to vegetation changes and weather are common. Average longevity is 15 months in the wild; the longest-lived wild individual on record was five years old. Population The rabbit population in 2019 is not as large as it was in the past. ), coyote (C. latrans), bobcat (Lynx rufus), weasels (Mustela spp. Special Report 19. )-juniper (Juniperus spp.) Its appearance differs from that of a hare in that it has a brownish-gray coloring around the head and neck. They are seldom found in deep woods. Its appearance differs from that of a hare in that it has a brownish-gray coloring around the head and neck. Eastern cottontails are named for their short and fluffy tails that look like cotton. [3] Originally, it was not found in New England, but it has been introduced and now competes for habitat there with the native New England cottontail. At two weeks … True to their reputation, cottontails have a high reproductive rate, with some females raising up to seven litters per year. Common name: Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Information for this Species Page was derived in part from research gathered by Edward Lee for Biology 220W in Spring 2000 at Penn State New Kensington) The eastern cottontail rabbit is one of the most common mammals of both the natural and the human generated ecosystems of North America. Eastern cottontails usually move only short distances, and they may remain sitting very still for up to 15 minutes at a time. Young begin to move out of the nest for short trips by 12 to 16 days and are completely weaned and independent by 4 to 5 weeks. A majority of females first breed the spring following birth; but 10% to 36% of females breed as juveniles (i.e., summer of the year they were born). Control. When chased, it runs in a zigzag pattern, running up to 18 mph (29 km/h). They are only reliably identified by genetic testing of tissue, by fecal samples, or by examining morphological skull characteristics. It has also been introduced into parts of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. The only time cottontails use their front paws while feeding is when vegetation is above their head on a living plant; in this case, they will lift their paw to bend the branch to bring the food within reach. While they may venture into the open, they usually don’t go far from brushy or dense, weedy cover. Cottontails do not dig burrows, but rather rest in a form, a shallow, scratched-out depression in a clump of grass or under brush. Left to their own devices, cottontails overpopulate, leading to overgrazing, disturbing gardens to the point of destruction, a high risk of disease, and out-competing other species who need the same habitats. Females construct their nests alone; these are slanting holes dug in soft soil and lined with vegetation and white fur from their underside. Eastern cottontail - WikiMili, The Free Encyclopedia - WikiMili, The Free Encyclopedia. Cottontails are nervous animals that may die of shock if handled or caged. The body is lighter in color with a white underside on the tail. [9][20] Litters disperse at about seven weeks. [7] In New England, eastern cottontail home ranges average 1.4 acres (0.57 hectares) for adult males and 1.2 acres (0.49 hectares) for adult females but vary in size from 0.5 to 40 acres (0.20 to 16.19 hectares), depending on season, habitat quality, and individual. Cottontails are rarely come out of their burrows to feed on windy days because the wind interferes with their hearing capabilities. Halting the decline of scrub and brushland habitat is paramount, as is identifying potential habitat free of competing eastern cottontail to which New England It is chunky, red-brown, or gray-brown in appearance, with large hind feet, long ears, and a short, fluffy white tail. [16] Meanwhile, 346 adult cottontails from Michigan were found to have averaged 3.186 lb (1,445 g) in mass. [22], In Kansas, the largest cause of mortality of radiotracked eastern cottontails was predation (43%), followed by deaths due to the research process (19%), and tularemia (18%). DISCUSSION After reviewing studies already conducted and examining expected simulations on the Eastern cottontail rabbit populations, it is concluded that harvesting annually is necessary and desirable. They prefer an area where they can hide quickly but be out in the open. The eastern cottontail has a wide distribution and is found throughout most of the eastern United States. Adults “thump” the ground with their hind feet, perhaps as an alarm signal. Cottontail rabbits are year-round residents in Pennsylvania. In southwestern North Dakota, cottontails (both eastern and desert cottontail Sylvilagus auduboni) were major prey items in the diets of bobcats. So why are the meadows and forests of the eastern United States not literally hopping with rabbits and toads? effects of predation, competition with eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus), and viability due to small population sizes (USFWS 2015). Most New England cottontails now occur on small ... made by the New England Cottontail Technical Committee Population Management Working Group, which includes representatives from all involved states in the range of New England cottontails, the Service, the Roger … Average depth of nest holes is 5 in (13 cm), average width 5 in (13 cm), and average length 7 in (18 cm). A wild population of eastern cottontails typically contains a large number of individuals aged one year or less and is thus almost always on the verge of a population explosion. [9] There is a preference for small material: branches, twigs, and stems up to 0.25 in (0.64 cm). Adult specimens from the Florida Museum of Natural History, collected in Florida, have a mean weight of 2.244 lb (1,018 g). [9] In Florida slash pine flatwoods, eastern cottontails use low saw-palmetto (Serenoa repens) patches for cover within grassy areas. [11], The onset of breeding varies between populations and within populations from year to year. ), corvids (Corvus spp. In Alabama the breeding season begins in January. Hellgren, Eric C.; Vaughan, Michael R. (1988). [3] Eastern cottontails usually move only short distances, and they may remain sitting very still for up to 15 minutes at a time. [9][11], The eastern cottontail is chunky, red-brown or gray-brown in appearance, with large hind feet, long ears, and a short, fluffy white tail. The female tends to be heavier, although the sexes broadly overlap in size. A comparison of skull characteristics or DNA analysis are the most reliable ways to distinguish between the two species. [3], During the dormant season, or when green vegetation is covered with snow, eastern cottontails consume twigs, buds, and bark of woody vegetation.