Eastern Cottontail

7/2/22 – From trust President Dave Ebiston: Picture taken with an IPhone which was enlarged , he lives under my shed and mows my lawn for me.

Per Mass Audubon, Massachusetts is home to two species of wild rabbit—the native New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) and the non-native Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus).

The latter was introduced into the state before 1900 and is now by far the most common rabbit in Massachusetts. As a result of this intense competition, the New England Cottontail has become rare throughout the region.

Both species breed in a variety of human-populated habitats including farmland, suburban yards, and even in isolated, weedy patches in the middle of cities. Since both cottontails and people exist in large numbers, they interact quite frequently—particularly when rabbit populations peak in late summer and early fall.

read more at Mass Audubon

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