Cottontail rabbit

Etymology

The generic name Sylvilagus is derived from Latin sylva (woods) and lagus (hare), together meaning "hare of the woods".

Evolution

Cottontails are one of several species of Sylvilagus. Their closest relative is Brachylagus, the pygmy rabbit. They are more distantly related to the European and other rabbits, and more distantly still to the hares. The cladogram is based on nuclear and mitochondrial gene analysis.

Lifespan

The lifespan of a cottontail averages about two years, depending on the location. Almost every living carnivorous creature comparable to or larger in size than these lagomorphs is a potential predator, including such diverse creatures as domestic dogs, cats, humans, snakes, coyotes, mountain lions, foxes, and, if the cottontail is showing signs of illness, even squirrels. The cottontail's most frequent predators are various birds of prey. They can also be parasitized by botfly species, including Cuterebra fontinella. Newborns are particularly vulnerable to these attacks. Cottontails use burrows vacated by other animals, and the burrows are used for long enough periods that predators can learn where they reside and repeatedly return to prey on them. Though cottontails are prolific animals that can have multiple litters in a year, few of the resulting offspring survive to adulthood. Those that do survive grow very quickly and are full-grown adults at three months.

Eating mechanics

In contrast to rodents, which generally sit on their hind legs and hold food with their front paws while feeding, cottontail rabbits eat while on all fours. These rabbits typically use their noses only to move and adjust the position of the food that they place directly in front of their front paws on the ground. The cottontail turns the food with its nose to find the cleanest part of the vegetation (free of sand and inedible parts) to begin its meal. The only time a cottontail uses its front paws while feeding is when vegetation is above its head on a living plant, when it lifts its paw to bend the branch to bring the food within reach.

Cottontails are rarely found foraging for food on windy days, because the wind interferes with their hearing capabilities. Hearing incoming predators before they get close enough to attack is their primary defense mechanism.

File:Juvenile Cottontail Rabbit.jpg| Juvenile cottontail standing in anticipation of food File:15 for Dinner.jpg|Cottontails are very sociable animals within their peer group. File:Cottontail age comparison-2.jpg|Male desert cottontail at 8 weeks, and the same cottontail at 16 months of age

Species

The subgenera were described in the 19th century based on limited morphological data that have been shown to not be of great use, nor to depict phylogenetic relationships. Molecular studies (limited in scope to the mitochondrial 12S gene) have shown that the currently accepted subgeneric structure,

Prehistoric species

• Sylvilagus hibbardi (early- to mid-Pleistocene)
• Sylvilagus leonensis - dwarf cottontail (late Pleistocene)
• Sylvilagus webbi] (Pleistocene)

References

References

1. {{MSW3 Lagomorpha
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