Cottontail rabbit

Ears up and eyes wide, a cottontail rabbit freezes in the grass, relying on stillness to disappear into its surroundings. Soft grey-brown fur and a white, cotton-like tail give this rabbit its name. It is most often seen at dusk and dawn, nibbling grass and clover along field edges and in suburban yards.

Cottontails are small, round rabbits with a rusty-brown coat, a pale belly, and a fluffy white tail that gives them their name. They feed on grasses, clover, and garden plants, mostly around dawn and dusk, and often freeze before bolting when something gets too close. Young rabbits leave the nest when they are only a few weeks old. In winter it feeds on bark and twigs, and its quick bursts of speed and zigzag escapes help it avoid foxes, hawks, and owls.

This is a favourite frame of a cottontail rabbit, in close-up and in profile.

Close-up profile of a cottontail rabbit with tall ears, a dark eye, and a rusty nape against a soft, blurred background

Photos

  • Close-up profile of a cottontail rabbit with tall ears, a dark eye, and a rusty nape against a soft, blurred background
  • Cottontail rabbit sitting upright in green grass and grooming its face with its paws
  • Young cottontail rabbit sitting in green grass in front of a leafy plant
  • Cottontail rabbit looking at the camera in the grass

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