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Cottontail (disambiguation).
The cottontail rabbits are among the 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 some cottontails (for example, the underside of the Brush Rabbit's tail is gray), nor is it unique to the genus (for example, the European Rabbit also has a white scut). Cottontail rabbits show a greater resistance to myxomatosis than European rabbits.[2]
The genus is widely distributed across North America, Central America, and northern and central South America, though most species are confined to particular regions. Most (though not all) species live in nests called forms, and all have altricial young.
Spotted on Nov 26, 2011
Submitted on Dec 27, 2011
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