Eastern cottontail

The eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) is a species of cottontail rabbit found in the eastern and south-central United States, southern Canada, Mexico, Central America, and northernmost South America. They are chunky, red-brown, or gray-brown in appearance, with a fluffy white tail, large hind feet, and long ears. Usually, eastern cottontails are found in open grasslands with a supporting abundant green grasses and herbs. The diet of the eastern cottontail is almost exclusively herbivorus; arthopods have occassanaily been found in pellets. The eastern cottontail has to contend with numerous predators. Due to their large populations, they are a major food sources of several preadtors diet. Major predators include foxes (Vulpes and Urocyon spp.), coyotes (C. latrans), bobcats (L. rufus), weasels (Mustela spp.), dogs (C. familiarnis), cats (F. catus), raccoons (P. lotor), mink (M. vison), owls (mainly the great horned and barred owl), hawks, corvids (Corvus spp.), and snakes.