365 Urban Species. #169: Eastern Cottontail

Photo by cottonmanifesto. Location: Franklin Park, Boston.

Urban species #168: Eastern cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus

Encountering a rabbit in the city tells us more about that city than it does about rabbits. It indicates that city values green space, and contains parks with open areas and relatively undisturbed fields and rough shrubby woods. The eastern cottontail is common enough in the suburbs and countryside of the northeast, but is not thought of as an urban species by most people. Similar to rats and mice in their ability to breed prolifically (sexually mature at 2-3 months, litters of up to 8, up to 4 litters per year), they are restricted by their habitat needs. They require undisturbed cover in order to breed--old stone walls, or overgrown shrubs and brambles. Boston's Emerald Necklace contains many linear miles of cottontail habitat, from Franklin Park, where we saw one today, up through Jamaica Plain, Brighton, and the Charles River Esplanade. I even saw one nibbling the weeds next to the Science Museum one afternoon.

Other cities may have other rabbits. The European rabbit (from which pet and meat rabbits were domesticated) has been introduced to many places, including, disastrously, Australia. They are common sights in the hedgerows and fields near cities in that continent as well as throughout Europe and Asia. In North America, our native rabbits are called cottontails to distinguish them from their Eurasian relatives. In the North and West of North America there are hares and jackrabbits, longer-legged lagomorphs that may take long strides through the edges of cities in those areas. All rabbits need a variety of plants available to feed on, and cover in which to hide. Cities that provide these sufficiently may also have rabbits.