Cottontail Rabbit is among the 20 species of lagomorph in the genus Sylvilagus , found in the Americas.
Most cottontail rabbits are very similar to wild European rabbits ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ). Most Sylvilagus species have a stub tail with a white bottom that is visible when they retreat, giving them their name: "cottontails". This feature does not exist in some cottontails (for example, the bottom of a gray rabbit's gray tail), is also not unique to the genus (for example, European rabbits also have white clumps).
This genus is widespread in North and Central America and northern and central South America, although most species are limited to a particular region. Most (though not all) species live in the so-called nest form, and all have an altruistic youth.
Cottontail rabbits show greater resistance to myxomatosis than European rabbits.
Video Cottontail rabbit
Evolution
The cottontail is one of several species of Sylvilagus ; their closest relatives are Brachylagus, a dwarf rabbit. They are further linked to European and other rabbits, and further down to the rabbits. Cladogram is derived from Kraatz et al., 2015, based on analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial genes.
Maps Cottontail rabbit
Age
The age of an average cottontail is about two years, depending on its location. Almost every living carnivorous creature that is bigger or faster than lagomorph is its predator. That includes: domestic dogs, cats, humans, snakes, coyotes, mountain lions, foxes, and if the cottontail shows signs of disease, even squirrels.
The greatest threat cottontail comes from birds of prey. Newborn Cottontails are particularly vulnerable to these attacks. Cottontail lagomorphs use burrows emptied by other animals. Predators like snakes are well aware of areas used and reused by cottontails, and kill young as they please. The mother is unable to defend her child. Although cottontails are sexually active, and married couples have multiple breeds multiple times in all seasons, few survive to adulthood. Those who do, grow very fast and full mature adults at three months.
Doing mechanics
Unlike squirrels and squirrels who eat sitting on their hind legs and can hold food with their front paws while spinning around to gobble up quickly, cottontails eat while crawling. Cottontails can only use their noses to move and adjust the position of food placed directly in front of the front paws on the ground. The cottontail rabbit will change the food with its nose to find the cleanest part of the vegetation (free of sand and edible parts) to start eating. The only time a cottontail uses its front paw to allow for a meal is when the herbs are above his head above the living plant. The cottontail will lift its legs to bend branches to bring food within reach.
Cottontails are rarely found out of their burrows looking for food on windy days, because the wind interferes with their hearing ability. Hearing approaching predators is their primary defense mechanism.
Species
Genus Sylvilagus
- Click on Species-> show to display all Species
References
Further reading
- Mammalian Journal
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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