Species: Sylvilagus floridanus
Eastern Cottontail
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Lagomorpha
Family
Leporidae
Genus
Sylvilagus
NatureServe
Classification
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Mammals - Other Mammals
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Mammalia - Lagomorpha - Leporidae - Sylvilagus - (Litvaitis 1997).
Ecology and Life History
Migration
true - false - false
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
In summer, depends on grasses and herbs. In winter, eats seedlings, bark, twigs, and buds.
Reproduction Comments
Very prolific. Several litters of 3-6 produced throughout much of the year. In northern regions, young usually are not born until March. Gestation lasts about a month. Sexually mature in 2-3 months.
Ecology Comments
In Wisconsin, home range varied from less than 0.4 ha to a little more than 1 ha; home range size was maximal during first winter; fall densities were 10/ha (Trent and Rungstad 1974). In Pennsylvania, annual female home range averaged about 2 ha; male range was similar except in spring and summer when it increased to average of 7-8 ha; little or no overlap of home ranges of females (Althoff and Storm 1989). Post-reproductive density was up to 27-28 per ha in Texas.
Length
46
Weight
1800
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-11-05
Global Status Last Changed
1996-11-05
Other Status
LC - Least concern
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
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Global Range
Widest distribution of any SYLVILAGUS species; ranges from southern Canada into central and northwestern South America. In North America, occurs east of the Rocky Mountains.