By Fred Murch, Interpretive Manager
The cottontail is a large rabbit with brownish-gray fur, long ears and a short tail that reminds us of a ball of cotton. They have large, strong hind legs that allow them to bound across large distances very quickly, running at speeds up to 18 miles an hour. Rabbits are stout-bodied animals that resemble large rodents. Like rodents, rabbits have two large front teeth that continually grow and must be kept short by gnawing.
Eastern cottontail males are known as bucks and females are known as does. Most does will produce three to five litters in a year. A litter of kits may be as few as two or as many as seven, the average being five kits. With a gestation of about 30 days, a single breeding pair of cottontails could potentially produce 350,000 offspring in just five years. Cottontail kits are born with their eyes closed, are deaf and hairless. The mother hides her newborn kits in a shallow depression in the ground that she lines with dried grass and fur from her body. She visits the nest to feed her babies at dawn and dusk. While nursing them, she stands over the babies, hiding them from view. At about 26 days, the kits are ready to leave the nest and begin their independent lives. Though many live less than a year, the life expectancy of cottontails is four to five years.
Clover came to the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center in spring 2012. Her nest had been run over by a lawn mower and she was the only kit to survive. Clover lost her right front leg and a little of her right ear in the accident. She gets around very well on three legs, but would not have very good odds if released back into the wild. Clover became an Animal Ambassador in September 2012. She now lives in the classroom at the Wildlife Center, but gets to spend time outdoors when weather permits as part of her enrichment. One of the Eastern cottontail’s favorite foods is clover. Our Clover also loves lettuce, apples, treats and, of course, carrots!
Clover