Cottontail
Last Review/Updated: May 31, 2002
Sylvilagus nuttallii
The cottontail rabbit is smaller than the hares and weighs about 1.2 kg (2.6 lb.). It has shorter hind feet and ears, and the ears lack the black tips of the hares. The fur is a grizzled brown on the upperparts with grey on the sides and rump, and white on the underparts. The top of the tail is grey, but it is usually the white underside that is shown. Cottontails do not change color in winter.
Mating may occur as early as February, with litters of 2 to 7 young being born about a month later. The young are born naked and blind in nests usually located in underground burrows. Does may breed three or more times a year.
Cottontails are sparsely distributed in the coulees, river bottoms and copses of the prairie where there are ample thickets and brush for cover and food. In summer, they eat a variety of green vegetation, with grasses being the most common. In winter, they eat the buds, bark, and branches of shrubs and small trees.
