Appalachian cottontail facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Appalachian cottontail
In the Appalachians of Virginia
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Sylvilagus
Species:	obscurus
Appalachian cottontail range

The Appalachian cottontail (Sylvilagus obscurus) is a type of cottontail rabbit. It belongs to the family called Leporidae, which includes all rabbits and hares. This rabbit is quite rare. You can find it in the higher, mountainous areas of the eastern United States. Scientists only realized it was a different species from the New England cottontail in 1992.

What Does the Appalachian Cottontail Look Like?

The Appalachian cottontail, known scientifically as Sylvilagus obscurus, is a small rabbit. It lives mostly in the mountains of the eastern U.S. Its home range stretches from Pennsylvania down to South Carolina. These rabbits are especially common in the Appalachian Mountains.

This rabbit is good at living in colder places. It is better suited to cold than its relative, the eastern cottontail. The Appalachian cottontail has light yellow-brown fur mixed with black on its back. It also has a brown and red patch on its neck. Its belly is mostly white.

It is hard to tell the Appalachian cottontail apart from the New England cottontail just by looking. The easiest way to know which is which is by where they live. Rabbits found south or west of the Hudson River are usually Appalachian cottontails. Those found north and east are New England cottontails. Scientists can also tell them apart by looking at their chromosomes and skull measurements.

Female Appalachian cottontails are usually bigger than males. This is likely because of their role in having babies. These rabbits can weigh from about 756 grams (1.667 lb) to 1,153 grams (2.542 lb). Their average length is about 408 mm (16.1 in). The Appalachian cottontail often has a short life, sometimes less than a year.

How Does the Appalachian Cottontail Behave?

Sylvilagus obscurus is usually most active around sunset or sunrise. During the day, they hide from predators. They might shelter under logs or in burrows. These rabbits do not hibernate. They stay active all year long.

It is thought that these rabbits have a social order. This is especially true when it comes to finding mates. Male rabbits may fight to show who is strongest. This helps them get the chance to mate.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

We do not know much about how Appalachian cottontails reproduce. However, we can learn a lot from other rabbits in the Sylvilagus group. Rabbits are usually not active in midwinter. But as days get longer, they start to look for mates.

Longer days help females get ready to have babies. This makes the female ready to mate. The breeding season for the Appalachian cottontail is from February to October. After mating, the female is pregnant for about 28 days.

Before giving birth, the mother rabbit digs a nesting hole. She pulls fur from her belly to line the nest. She also gathers berries and leaves for the nest. Pulling fur also helps her nipples be ready for nursing her babies.

The baby rabbits stay in the nest for about 3 to 4 weeks. They live there with plants until they can live on their own. A mother rabbit usually visits her nest twice a day to feed her young. A female can have 3 to 4 litters each season. Each litter usually has 3 to 4 babies.

Where Do Appalachian Cottontails Live and What Do They Eat?

Appalachian cottontails live in mountainous areas. They are usually found at elevations from 610 to 762 m (2,001 to 2,500 ft). The Appalachian Mountains offer them good places to hide. They also provide plants to eat.

They eat plants like blackberry, greenbriar, and mountain laurel. They also eat bark and twigs from trees. These trees include red maple, aspen, and black cherry. Their diet mostly includes twigs, leaves, and fruits.

Sometimes, these rabbits eat their own droppings. This is called coprophagy. It helps them get all the vitamins and nutrients they need. This eating habit is common in most rabbits of the Sylvilagus group.

How Do Appalachian Cottontails Communicate?

The Appalachian cottontail is a prey animal. This means other animals hunt it for food. Because of this, it has very good senses. Its sense of smell, hearing, and sight are all very sharp. This helps the rabbit notice predators quickly. It can then react fast to danger.

Mother rabbits have been seen making a grunting sound. This sound warns their babies if predators are nearby. Rabbits have also been heard squealing sometimes when they are mating. Their senses also help them find other rabbits to mate with.

What Threats Do Appalachian Cottontails Face?

Several things threaten the Appalachian cottontail. These threats put the survival of S. obscurus at risk. One big problem is the loss and change of their habitat. This happens because of human development. When their habitat is broken up, it is called habitat fragmentation.

When their home is broken into smaller pieces, the rabbits have less cover. This makes them easier targets for predators. Hunting is another common cause of death for many Appalachian cottontails. This often happens because hunters do not know much about this specific rabbit. The Appalachian cottontail is very secretive and hard to find in the wild. This lack of knowledge also adds to why it is a threatened species.

Family and Rabbit Relatives

Sylvilagus obscurus belongs to the family called Leporidae. This family has 12 groups, or genera. It includes 62 different lagomorph species. Lagomorphs are animals that have two pairs of front teeth, called incisors.

Sylvilagus species are herbivores, meaning they eat plants. But, as mentioned, they also practice coprophagy. Like other lagomorphs, they have a very small tail. Their jaw has holes, and the bottoms of their feet are covered in thick fur.

The name Sylvilagus comes from Latin words. Sylva means "woods" and lagus means "hare." So, Sylvilagus means "hare of the woods." This group has 13 different species. They are found across North America, Central America, and northern South America.

Many relatives of Sylvilagus obscurus are in this group. One example is the Sylvilagus robustus. This rabbit lives in the Guadalupe Mountains in Mexico. It can be found at elevations as high as 1,400 m (4,600 ft). It lives in woodland areas, much like S. obscurus.

Images for kids

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  Appalachian cottontail in Pennsylvania.