The cottontail bunny eats plants, is most active at dusk and dawn, and provides a major link in food webs. It is the most common rabbit species in North America. Eastern cottontail can be distinguished from the other common lagomorph of eastern Ontario, the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), by its smaller size, colouration (it does not turn white in winter as hares do), and physical features (for example, shorter ears). It also lives in a very different type of habitat. Found throughout the state, eastern cottontail rabbits are most common in southern Michigan landscapes with abundant edge habitat.An edge is the area where two different habitats meet, such as a field and a forest. Food The eastern cottontail’s diet consists of a wide variety of green vegetation and woody plants. They have big eyes, long ears, and large hind legs and feet. Its typical habitat is a mix between woods and open land. The eastern cottontail shows the white underside of its short tail when it is running. Cottontail rabbits cannot be tamed. There are a few species within the cottontail rabbit family in America, but the eastern cottontail is the most abundant and widespread. The eastern cottontail rabbit is a midsize rabbit that generally resides throughout eastern North America, from Canada to Mexico. Diet The eastern cottontail is an herbivore.

It can be found in bushy areas, fields, woodlands, swamps and thickets. Females are larger than males. Eastern Cottontail Rabbit’s Habitat The Eastern cottontail is the most common and diversely found rabbit species in North America, mostly centered in the Midwest, reaching New Mexico and Arizona. Habitat The eastern cottontail prefers habitats that are between woody areas and open land. New England Cottontails are very similar in appearance, with slightly shorter ears, smaller eyes, and smaller body size. Seldom weighing more than three pounds or exceeding 15 inches in length, they are named after their tails - a small tuft of white fur.

This rabbit undergoes two molts per year. Eastern Cottontail Description. Adult Eastern Cottontails are 15 to 19 inches long and weigh between 2 and 3.5 pounds. The eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae.

It eats a variety of different plants including grasses, clover, fruits and vegetables. Their coats are range from grey brown to reddish brown, and their tail has a white underside that is visible when the rabbit is running. The spring molt, lasting from mid-April to mid-July, leaves a short summer coat that is more brown.

Eastern Cottontail. It is the most common rabbit species in North America. Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) History and Status Description The eastern cottontail is the most well-known and most widely distributed rab-bit in North Carolina.