Cottontail Rabbits & Their Habitats

Over a dozen species and subspecies of Sylvilagus are commonly known as cottontail rabbits. All of them share similar traits, such as a herbivorous diet and crepuscular (active at dusk and dawn) lifestyle. Each species and subspecies has adapted to its range, so cottontails are found in a variety of habitats from meadows to deserts to mountains and even swamps.

  1. Eastern Cottontails

    • Sylvilagus floridanus is the most common North American rabbit, inhabiting most of the eastern United States, with the exception of Northern New England. It is also found in parts of Arizona and New Mexico. The eastern cottontail prefers spaces between woody areas and open lands such as fields and meadows, but may also be found in woodlands, bushy areas, swamps and thickets.

    Desert Cottontails

    • Sylvilagus audubonii, the desert cottontail, is found in the southwest of the United States from California to Texas and from Montana to Mexico. It inhabits woodlands, grasslands, deserts and brushes, or anywhere it can forage for its native diet of grasses, bark, cacti and mesquite.

    Mountain Cottontails

    • Sylvilagus nuttallii, the mountain cottontail, lives mostly in the western United States between Montana's eastern border and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in the middle of New Mexico and Arizona, and on the Canadian border. They are also found in a small section of Canada above Montana and Washington. They prefer brushy or woody areas on slopes and riverbanks covered with food such as grasses, willows and especially sagebrush.

    Swamp Rabbits

    • Sylvilagus aquaticus, swamp rabbits, are found in the south-central United States and the Gulf Coast. They are especially abundant in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. They are found in swampy lowlands, marshes, floodplains, on river banks and in cypress swamps. Swamp rabbits generally make their homes in tall grasses.

    New England Cottontail

    • Sylvilagus transitionalis lives only in parts of New England, and is listed as threatened or endangered in much of its habitat. This rabbit prefer brambles and thickets, and may defend a territory ranging from 1/2 to 8 acres, with adult males taking the largest territories.