The
cottontail rabbits are among the 16 lagomorph
speciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
in the
genusIn biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Sylvilagus, found in the
AmericasThe Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
.
In appearance, most cottontail rabbits closely resemble the wild
European RabbitThe European Rabbit or Common Rabbit is a species of rabbit native to south west Europe and north west Africa . It has been widely introduced elsewhere often with devastating effects on local biodiversity...
(
Oryctolagus cuniculus). Most members of the genus have a stub tail with a white underside that shows when they are retreating, giving them their name, "cottontails"; however, this feature is not present in some cottontails (for example, the underside of the
Brush RabbitThe Brush Rabbit , or Western Brush Rabbit, is a species of cottontail rabbit found in western coastal regions of North America, from the Columbia River in Oregon to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula...
's tail is gray), nor is it unique to the genus (for example, the
European RabbitThe European Rabbit or Common Rabbit is a species of rabbit native to south west Europe and north west Africa . It has been widely introduced elsewhere often with devastating effects on local biodiversity...
also has a white scut).
The genus is widely distributed across
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
,
Central AmericaCentral America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, and northern and central
South AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, though most species are confined to particular regions. Most (though not all) species live in nests called forms, and all have
altricialAltricial, meaning "requiring nourishment", refers to a pattern of growth and development in organisms which are incapable of moving around on their own soon after hatching or being born...
young.
Cottontail rabbits show a greater resistance to
myxomatosisMyxomatosis is a disease that affects rabbits and is caused by the Myxoma virus. It was first observed in Uruguay in laboratory rabbits in the late 19th century. It was introduced into Australia in 1950 in an attempt to control the rabbit population...
than European rabbits.
Species
- Genus Sylvilagus
- Subgenus Tapeti
- Swamp Rabbit
The Swamp Rabbit is a large cottontail rabbit found in the swamps and wetlands of the Southern United States.- Appearance :...
, Sylvilagus aquaticus
- Tapeti
The Tapeti , also known as the Brazilian Rabbit or Forest Rabbit, is a cottontail rabbit species found in Central and South America....
, Sylvilagus brasiliensis
- Dice's Cottontail
Dice's Cottontail is a species of mammal in the Leporidae family. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama, in páramo and cloud forest habitats....
, Sylvilagus dicei
- Omilteme Cottontail
The Omilteme Cottontail is a cottontail rabbit found only in the state of Guerrero, Mexico in the mountain range of Sierra Madre del Sur. Belonging to the family Leporidae, it is one of fourteen species in the genus Sylvilagus, a genus restricted to the New World...
, Sylvilagus insonus
- Marsh Rabbit
The marsh rabbit is a small cottontail rabbit found in marshes and swamps of coastal regions of the Eastern and Southern United States. It is a strong swimmer and found only near regions of water...
, Sylvilagus palustris
- Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit, Sylvilagus palustris hefneri (named after Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
)
- Upper Keys Marsh Rabbit, Sylvilagus palustris paludicola
- Marsh Rabbit
The marsh rabbit is a small cottontail rabbit found in marshes and swamps of coastal regions of the Eastern and Southern United States. It is a strong swimmer and found only near regions of water...
, Sylvilagus palustris palustris
- Venezuelan Lowland Rabbit
The Venezuelan lowland rabbit , also known as the Barinas wild rabbit, is a cottontail rabbit species found in western Venezuela. Its diet consists in large measure of plants of the genus Sida. It is found in lowland savannas close to dry forests within the Llanos ecoregion. It is the largest of...
, Sylvilagus varynaensis
- Subgenus Sylvilagus
- Desert Cottontail
The Desert Cottontail , also known as Audubon's Cottontail, is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae....
, Sylvilagus audubonii
- Manzano Mountain Cottontail
The Manzano Mountain Cottontail is a species of cottontail rabbit endemic to the Manzano Mountains in New Mexico, USA. It occurs in coniferous forests in high elevation. It was previously thought to be a subspecies of the Eastern cottontail....
, Sylvilagus cognatus
- Mexican Cottontail
The Mexican Cottontail is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or tropical dry forests, and pastureland. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
, Sylvilagus cunicularius
- Sylvilagus cunicularius cunicularius
- Sylvilagus cunicularius insolitus
- Sylvilagus cunicularius pacificus
- Eastern Cottontail
The eastern cottontail is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is one of the most common rabbit species in North America.-Distribution:...
, Sylvilagus floridanus
- Sylvilagus floridanus alacer
- Sylvilagus floridanus ammophilus
- Sylvilagus floridanus avius
- Sylvilagus floridanus aztecus
- Sylvilagus floridanus chapmani
- Sylvilagus floridanus chiapensis
- Sylvilagus floridanus cognatus
- Sylvilagus floridanus connectens
- Sylvilagus floridanus continentis
- Sylvilagus floridanus costaricensis
- Sylvilagus floridanus cumanicus
- Sylvilagus floridanus floridanus
- Sylvilagus floridanus hesperius
- Sylvilagus floridanus hitchensi
- Sylvilagus floridanus holzneri
- Sylvilagus floridanus hondurensis
- Sylvilagus floridanus llanensis
- Sylvilagus floridanus mallurus
- Sylvilagus floridanus margaritae
- Sylvilagus floridanus mearnsi
- Sylvilagus floridanus nelsoni
- Sylvilagus floridanus nigronuchalis
- Sylvilagus floridanus orinoci
- Sylvilagus floridanus orizabae
- Sylvilagus floridanus paulsoni
- Sylvilagus floridanus purgatus
- Sylvilagus floridanus restrictus
- Sylvilagus floridanus russatus
- Sylvilagus floridanus similis
- Sylvilagus floridanus subcinctus
- Sylvilagus floridanus superciliaris
- Sylvilagus floridanus valenciae
- Sylvilagus floridanus yucatanicus
- Tres Marias Rabbit
The Tres Marias Cottontail or Tres Marias Rabbit is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It is endemic to the Tres Marias Islands, part of the Mexican state of Nayarit. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss....
, Sylvilagus graysoni
- Sylvilagus graysoni graysoni
- Sylvilagus graysoni badistes
- Mountain Cottontail
The Mountain Cottontail or Nuttall's Cottontail is a species of mammal in the Leporidae family. It is found in Canada and the United States.- Description :...
, Sylvilagus nuttallii
- Sylvilagus nuttallii nuttallii
- Sylvilagus nuttallii pinetis
- Sylvilagus nuttallii grangeri
- Appalachian Cottontail
The Appalachian Cottontail is a species of cottontail rabbit in the family Leporidae. It is a rare species found in upland areas of the eastern United States.-References:...
or rarely Allegheny Cottontail, Sylvilagus obscurus
- Robust Cottontail
The Robust Cottontail or Davis Mountains Cottontail is a species of cottontail rabbit endemic to four mountain ranges in the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico. It was long considered to be a subspecies of the Eastern Cottontail , but has recently been promoted to species level due to...
, Sylvilagus robustus
- New England Cottontail
The New England Cottontail is a species of cottontail rabbit represented by fragmented populations in areas of New England, specifically from southern Maine to southern New York...
, Sylvilagus transitionalis
- Subgenus Microlagus
- Brush Rabbit
The Brush Rabbit , or Western Brush Rabbit, is a species of cottontail rabbit found in western coastal regions of North America, from the Columbia River in Oregon to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula...
, Sylvilagus bachmani
- Sylvilagus bachmani bachmani
- Sylvilagus bachmani cinerascens
- Sylvilagus bachmani peninsularis
- Sylvilagus bachmani cerrosensis
- Sylvilagus bachmani ubericolor
- Sylvilagus bachmani exiguus
- Sylvilagus bachmani mariposae
- Sylvilagus bachmani virgulti
- Sylvilagus bachmani howelli
- Sylvilagus bachmani macrorhinus
- Sylvilagus bachmani riparius
- Sylvilagus bachmani tehamae
- Sylvilagus bachmani rosaphagus