Desert Cottontail

The Eastern Cottontail is the most common rabbit in North America. It is identified by its red brown or grey brown body color, large hind feet, long ears, white belly, short fluffy white tail and a rusty patch on its nape. They are found in meadows and shrubby areas of eastern and southwestern United States, southern Canada, eastern Mexico and California. The eastern cottontail eats green vegetation of grasses and clover in summer and bark and twigs in the winter. Its predators are hawks, owls, and humans who hunt them for food and fur used for clothing. Male and female eastern cottontails do a mating dance when preparing to mate. Males will fight with other males for the female’s attention after which the male will chase the female for a while until she stops and faces him. She then boxes him with her front paws until one or both jump straight up in the air. Eastern Cottontail
Male eastern cottontails mate with more than one female. They mate between February and September and the female gives birth one month after mating. Their litters of two to four babies are born in a nest in the ground lined with grass and fur. After their young are born, the female will usually mate again.
Very territorial and aggressive, the eastern cottontail can leap into the air up to fifteen feet. When on the look out for predators, they will stand on their back feet to watch for coyotes, foxes, weasels, eagles and hawks. When running from predators, they will often leap from side to side to break its scent trail.
The cottontail rabbit can run up to fift