Sylvilagus floridanus

Statistics
Length: head and body14-17"; ears 2.5-3"
Weight: 2-4 lbs.
Number of teeth: 28
Young: 4-6 young born from March-October; a female may produce 20-25 young per year

Habitat
Prefer a variety of cover types including weeds, brush piles, hedge, short grasses, shrubs.

Food
Vegetation: grasses, clover, alfalfa, seeds, buds, fruits, bark.

Period of Activity
Early evening to late morning.

Distribution
Illinois: Statewide
USA: See distribution map.

Cottontail Trivia
Cottontails have large hind legs which help them hop and run fast and long ears which provide them a keen sense of hearing. Female cottontails place their blind, helpless newborn in shallow depressions in the ground or a short burrow. These areas are lined with hair and covered with grasses to hide the young when the female is away.