Cottontail rabbit
Cottontail rabbits[1] | |
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Eastern cottontail rabbit (S. floridanus) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Lagomorpha |
Family: | Leporidae |
Genus: | Sylvilagus J. E. Gray, 1867 |
Type species | |
Lepus sylvaticus | |
Species | |
27, see text | |
Cottontail rabbits are in the Sylvilagus genus, which is in the Leporidae family. They are found in the Americas.[1] Most Sylvilagus species have stub tails with white undersides that show when they retreat, giving them their characteristic name. However, this feature is not present in all Sylvilagus, nor is it unique to the genus.
The genus is widely distributed across
Cottontail rabbits show a greater resistance to myxomatosis than European rabbits.[2]
Evolution
Cottontails are one of several species of Sylvilagus. Their closest relative is
Cottontails |
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Lifespan
The lifespan of a cottontail averages about two years, depending on the location. Almost every living
Eating mechanics
In contrast to rodents (squirrels, etc.), which generally sit on their hind legs and hold food with their front paws while feeding, cottontail rabbits eat while on all fours. Cottontail rabbits typically only use their nose to move and adjust the position of the food that it places directly in front of its front paws on the ground. The cottontail will turn the food with its nose to find the cleanest part of the vegetation (free of sand and inedible parts) to begin its meal. The only time a cottontail uses its front paws while feeding is when vegetation is above its head on a living plant, at which point the cottontail will lift its paw to bend the branch to bring the food within reach.[7]
Cottontails are rarely found foraging for food on windy days, because the wind interferes with their hearing capabilities. Hearing an incoming predator before they get close enough to attack is their primary defense mechanism.[8]
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Juvenile cottontail standing in anticipation of food
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Cottontails are very sociable animals within their peer group
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Male desert cottontail at 8 weeks, and the same cottontail at 16 months of age
Species
The subgenera were described in the 19th century based on limited morphological data that have been shown to not be of great use, nor to depict phylogenetic relationships. Molecular studies (limited in scope to the mitochondrial 12S gene) have shown that the currently accepted subgeneric structure,[1] while of some heuristic value, is unlikely to withstand additional scrutiny.[9]
Subgenus | Image | Common name | Scientific name | Distribution |
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Microlagus | Brush rabbit | Sylvilagus bachmani | West coast of North America, from the Columbia River in Oregon to the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. Isolated subspecies, San Jose brush rabbit , on San José Island in the Gulf of California.
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Sylvilagus | Desert cottontail | Sylvilagus audubonii | Western United States from eastern Montana to western Texas, California and in Northern and Central Mexico | |
Mexican cottontail | Sylvilagus cunicularius | Mexico from the state of Sinaloa to the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz | ||
Eastern cottontail | Sylvilagus floridanus | eastern and south-central United States, southern Canada, eastern Mexico, Central America and northernmost South America | ||
Tres Marias cottontail | Sylvilagus graysoni | Tres Marias Islands, Mexico | ||
Mountain cottontail | Sylvilagus nuttallii | Intermountain west of Canada and the United States
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Appalachian cottontail or Allegheny cottontail | Sylvilagus obscurus | eastern United States | ||
Robust cottontail | Sylvilagus holzneri | southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico | ||
New England cottontail | Sylvilagus transitionalis | New England, specifically from southern Maine to southern New York | ||
Tapeti | Andean tapeti | Sylvilagus andinus | Venezuela south to Peru | |
Bogota tapeti | Sylvilagus apollinaris | Colombia | ||
Swamp rabbit | Sylvilagus aquaticus | southern United States | ||
Common tapeti | Sylvilagus brasiliensis | Brazil (Venezuela to Argentina when the many unclassified populations are included) | ||
Ecuadorian tapeti | Sylvilagus daulensis | Ecuador | ||
Dice's cottontail | Sylvilagus dicei | Costa Rica and Panama | ||
Fulvous tapeti | Sylvilagus fulvescens | Colombia | ||
Central American tapeti | Sylvilagus gabbi | Mexico to Panama | ||
Northern tapeti | Sylvilagus incitatus | San Miguel Island, Panama | ||
Omilteme cottontail | Sylvilagus insonus | Guerrero, Mexico | ||
Nicefor's tapeti | Sylvilagus nicefori | Colombia | ||
Marsh rabbit | Sylvilagus palustris | southeastern United States | ||
Suriname tapeti | Sylvilagus parentum | western Suriname | ||
Colombian tapeti | Sylvilagus salentus | Colombia | ||
Santa Marta tapeti | Sylvilagus sanctaemartae | Colombia | ||
Western tapeti | Sylvilagus surdaster | Ecuador | ||
Coastal tapeti | Sylvilagus tapetillus | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ||
Venezuelan lowland rabbit | Sylvilagus varynaensis | western Venezuela |
Prehistoric species
- Sylvilagus hibbardi (Early-Mid Pleistocene) [citation needed]
- Sylvilagus leonensis - Dwarf cottontail (Late Pleistocene)
- Sylvilagus webbi (Pleistocene) [citation needed]
References
- ^ OCLC 62265494.
- ^ Carter, G.R.; Wise, D.J. (2006). "Poxviridae". A Concise Review of Veterinary Virology. Retrieved 2006-06-13.
- S2CID 202855918.
- PMID 25802812.
- ^ Jennison CA, Rodas LR, Barrett GW (2006). "Cuterebra fontinella parasitism on Peromyscus leucopus and Ochrotomys nuttalli". Southeastern Naturalist. 5 (1): 157–168. .
- ^ "Sylvilagus floridanus". Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "Small mammals" (PDF).
- ^ "Rabbits and Hares".
- ISSN 0076-8405.