Cottontail rabbit

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"Cottontail" redirects here. For other uses, see Cottontail (disambiguation).

iCottontail rabbits

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Lagomorpha
Family:	Leporidae
Genus:	Sylvilagus Gray, 1867

Type Species

Lepus sylvaticus
Bachman, 1837
(=Lepus sylvaticus floridanus J. Allen, 1890)

Species

16, see text

The cottontail rabbits are 16 lagomorph species in the genus Sylvilagus, found in the Americas.

In appearance most cottontail rabbits closely resemble the wild European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Most members of the genus have a stub tail with a white underside that shows when they are retreating, giving them their name "cottontails." However, this feature is not present in all cottontails (for example, the underside of the Brush Rabbit's tail is grey), nor is it unique to the genus (for example, the European rabbit also has a white scut).

The genus is widely distributed across North America, though most species are confined to particular regions. Most (though not all) species live in burrows, and all have altricial young.

[edit] Species

Genus Sylvilagus
- Subgenus Tapeti
  - Swamp Rabbit, Sylvilagus aquaticus
  - Tapeti, Sylvilagus brasiliensis
  - Dice's Cottontail, Sylvilagus dicei
  - Omilteme Cottontail, Sylvilagus insonus
  - Marsh Rabbit, Sylvilagus palustris
  - Venezuelan Lowland Rabbit, Sylvilagus varynaensis
- Subgenus Sylvilagus
  - Desert Cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii
  - Manzano Mountain Cottontail, Sylvilagus cognatus
  - Mexican Cottontail, Sylvilagus cunicularis
  - Eastern Cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus
  - Tres Marias Rabbit, Sylvilagus graysoni
  - Mountain Cottontail, Sylvilagus nuttallii
  - Appalachian Cottontail or rarely Allegheny Cottontail, Sylvilagus obscurus
  - Robust Rabbit, Sylvilagus robustus
  - New England Cottontail, Sylvilagus transitionalis
- Subgenus Microlagus
  - Brush Rabbit, Sylvilagus bachmani
  - San Jose Brush Rabbit, Sylvilagus mansuetus