Mammals · Lagomorpha · Leporidae

Eastern Cottontail

Sylvilagus floridanus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

For all its extraordinary fecundity — as many as 6 litters a year — barely 15% of its young survive their first year in the wild. It is polyandrous: a female may mate with several males in a season.

Weight

800 g – 1.8 kg

Size

39.5 cm – 47.7 cm

Lifespan

1 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Crepuscular

Active above all at dawn and dusk.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestGrasslandHerbivore Crepuscular Solitary Temperate forest Grassland Mammal

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Fun facts

Barely 15% of its young survive their first year.
It can have as many as 5 or 6 litters a year.
One female may mate with several different males in a season.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Woodland edges, scrub, farmland and hedgerows across much of North and South America, from Canada to Peru
Birth weight: ~28 grams (about 1 ounce)
Size at birth: Blind, deaf and all but hairless at birth
Sexual maturity: 2-3 months
Gestation / incubation: 26-32 days
Litter / clutch size: 1 to 8 young per litter (most commonly 3-6), up to 5-6 litters per year
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 10 years in captivity

Sources consulted: Virginia DWR; Animalia.bio; National Geographic Kids; Sciencing; PMC; Iowa DNR; Ontario Wildlife Federation fact sheet; Animal Diversity Web; BioKIDS