The Cottontail Rabbit

The cottontail rabbit gets its name because its tail looks like a ball of cotton. The color of the cottontail rabbit is reddish brown with a white tail. The adult grows to be about 12 to 18 inches long and weighs anywhere from two to four pounds. The cottontail rabbit likes to live in the brush in order to hide. It makes its home in a burrow near prickly bushes. This rabbit is unaffected by the prickly bushes, but living near these prickly bushes deters some predators from attacking the rabbit. Coyotes, red foxes, hawks, and owls are all predators of the cottontail rabbit.

A cottontail will have multiple litters of babies each year. It is not uncommon for a rabbit to have many babies. The babies are born without fur and they cannot see. After about a week, the fur begins to grow in. The mother rabbit builds a nest out of grass, fur, and hay to keep the babies warm.

This rabbit is an herbivore, eating grass, bark, berries, twigs, and just about anything that is green. If a cottontail is lucky enough to come across a farmer’s garden, it will eat just about any vegetables growing. They especially like carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes.

Famous stories have been written about cottontail rabbits. Perhaps you’ve heard one about Peter and his sisters Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail.