Eastern Cottontail

Description:

Cottontail have brown or gray coats, white belly, and distinctive white tail. This was a young rabbit.

Habitat:

Wildlife habitat yard near Lewisville Lake.

Notes:

Cottontails feed at night, subsisting on a variety of green plants, barks, buds, and grasses. Unlike the jackrabbit, which is actually a member of the hare family, cottontails are true rabbits. This distinction is important, as hares are born virtually self-sufficient, whereas rabbits are born hairless, blind, and helpless. In addition, hares tend to be larger and more muscular than rabbits.