| Cottontail rabbits[1] | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Eastern cottontail rabbit (S. floridanus) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Lagomorpha |
| Family: | Leporidae |
| Genus: | Sylvilagus J. E. Gray, 1867 |
| Type species | |
| Lepus sylvaticus | |
| Species | |
27, seetext | |
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Cottontail rabbits comprise thegenusSylvilagus, which is in the familyLeporidae. They are found in the Americas.[1] MostSylvilagus species have stub tails with white undersides that show when they retreat, giving them their characteristic name, but this feature is not present in allSylvilagus species, nor is it unique to the genus. Their fur ranges from brown to gray and changes throughout the year, depending on the season.[2]
The genus is widely distributed across North America,Central America, and northern and central South America, though most species are confined to particular regions. Most species live in nests called forms, and all havealtricial young. They often live on the edges of fields, farms, and other open spaces far from highly populated areas, but sometimes they make their nests in yards and parks near more people.[3] An adult female averages three litters per year, which can be born in any season. Occurrence and litter size depend on several factors, including time of the year, weather, and location. The average litter size is four, but can range from as few as two to as many as eight, most of which do not survive to adulthood. Females can begin reproducing when they are only six months old.[2]
Cottontail rabbits show a greater resistance tomyxomatosis thanEuropean rabbits.[4]
Thegeneric nameSylvilagus is derived from Latinsylva (woods) andlagus (hare), together meaning "hare of the woods".[5]
Cottontails are one of several species ofSylvilagus. Their closest relative isBrachylagus, the pygmy rabbit. They are more distantly related to theEuropean and other rabbits, and more distantly still to thehares. Thecladogram is based onnuclear andmitochondrial gene analysis.[6][7][8]
| Cottontails | |
The lifespan of a cottontail averages about two years, depending on the location. Almost every livingcarnivorous creature comparable to or larger in size than theselagomorphs is a potential predator, including such diverse creatures as domestic dogs, cats, humans,snakes,coyotes,mountain lions,foxes, and, if the cottontail is showing signs of illness, evensquirrels. The cottontail's most frequent predators are variousbirds of prey. They can also be parasitized by botfly species, includingCuterebra fontinella.[9] Newborns are particularly vulnerable to these attacks. Cottontails use burrows vacated by other animals, and the burrows are used for long enough periods that predators can learn where they reside and repeatedly return to prey on them. Though cottontails are prolific animals that can have multiple litters in a year, few of the resulting offspring survive to adulthood. Those that do survive grow very quickly and are full-grown adults at three months.[10]
In contrast torodents, which generally sit on their hind legs and hold food with their front paws while feeding, cottontail rabbits eat while on all fours. These rabbits typically use their noses only to move and adjust the position of the food that they place directly in front of their front paws on the ground. The cottontail turns the food with its nose to find the cleanest part of the vegetation (free of sand and inedible parts) to begin its meal. The only time a cottontail uses its front paws while feeding is when vegetation is above its head on a living plant, when it lifts its paw to bend the branch to bring the food within reach.[11]
Cottontails are rarely found foraging for food on windy days, because the wind interferes with their hearing capabilities. Hearing incoming predators before they get close enough to attack is their primary defense mechanism.[12]
The subgenera were described in the 19th century based on limited morphological data that have been shown to not be of great use, nor to depict phylogenetic relationships. Molecular studies (limited in scope to the mitochondrial12S gene) have shown that the currently accepted subgeneric structure,[1] while of some heuristic value, is unlikely to withstand additional scrutiny.[13]
| Subgenus | Image | Common name | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microlagus |  | Brush rabbit | Sylvilagus bachmani | West Coast of North America, from the Columbia River in Oregon to the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula; isolated subspecies,San Jose brush rabbit, on San José Island in the Gulf of California |
| Sylvilagus |  | Desert cottontail | Sylvilagus audubonii | Western United States from eastern Montana to West Texas, California, and in Northern and Central Mexico |
 | Mexican cottontail | Sylvilagus cunicularius | Mexico from the state of Sinaloa to Oaxaca and Veracruz | |
 | Eastern cottontail | Sylvilagus floridanus | Eastern and south-central United States, southern Canada, eastern Mexico, Central America and northernmost South America | |
 | Tres Marias cottontail | Sylvilagus graysoni | Tres Marias Islands, Mexico | |
.jpg) | Mountain cottontail | Sylvilagus nuttallii | Intermountain west of Canada and the United States | |
 | Appalachian cottontail or Allegheny cottontail | Sylvilagus obscurus | Eastern United States | |
 | Robust cottontail | Sylvilagus holzneri | Southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico | |
 | New England cottontail | Sylvilagus transitionalis | New England, specifically from southern Maine to southern New York | |
| Tapeti | .jpg) | Andean tapeti | Sylvilagus andinus | Venezuela south to Peru |
| Bogota tapeti | Sylvilagus apollinaris | Colombia | ||
.jpg) | Swamp rabbit | Sylvilagus aquaticus | Southern United States | |
 | Common tapeti | Sylvilagus brasiliensis | Brazil (Venezuela to Argentina when the many unclassified populations are included) | |
| Ecuadorian tapeti | Sylvilagus daulensis | Ecuador | ||
| Dice's cottontail | Sylvilagus dicei | Costa Rica and Panama | ||
| Fulvous tapeti | Sylvilagus fulvescens | Colombia | ||
| Central American tapeti | Sylvilagus gabbi | Mexico to Panama | ||
| Northern tapeti | Sylvilagus incitatus | San Miguel Island, Panama | ||
| Omilteme cottontail | Sylvilagus insonus | Guerrero, Mexico | ||
| Nicefor's tapeti | Sylvilagus nicefori | Colombia | ||
 | Marsh rabbit | Sylvilagus palustris | Southeastern United States | |
| Suriname tapeti | Sylvilagus parentum | Western Suriname | ||
| Colombian tapeti | Sylvilagus salentus | Colombia | ||
| Santa Marta tapeti | Sylvilagus sanctaemartae | Colombia | ||
| Western tapeti | Sylvilagus surdaster | Ecuador | ||
| Coastal tapeti | Sylvilagus tapetillus | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ||
| Venezuelan lowland rabbit | Sylvilagus varynaensis | Western Venezuela |
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