What is the difference between a swamp rabbit and a cottontail rabbit?
The swamp rabbit is the largest member of the cottontail genus. Although it is larger in overall size than other cottontails, it has smaller and rounder ears and coarser fur with a more yellow cast. The rabbits are often found near water and in the cover of thickets, stumps, or fallen trees.
What kind of wild rabbits live in Alabama?
Although the physical differences between them may be subtle, the four species found in this state are swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus), eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), Appalachian cottontail (Sylvilagus obscurus), and marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris).
Do marsh rabbits have tails?
Marsh rabbits have reddish brown or dark brown fur and dark bellies. Their small, grayish tails are dark underneath. They have short, rounded ears.
How can you tell a swamp rabbit?
The swamp rabbit is similar to the eastern cottontail but has a generally larger size, proportionately shorter and rounder ears, coarser body fur with a yellowish cast (particularly to the rump), and more black mottling. The tops of the hind feet are reddish brown.
Are marsh rabbits endangered?
Sylvilagus palustris hefneri
| Lower Keys marsh rabbit | |
|---|---|
| Endangered (ESA) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
Are cottontails solitary?
They’re related, but not the same. Hares are born with hair, their eyes open, and good vision; rabbits are born mostly bald, with eyes closed. They’re also rather solitary while–except for cottontails–rabbits live in social groups and nest in burrows or warrens.
What rabbits are native to Alabama?
Rabbits
- Swamp Rabbit.
- Eastern Cottontail.
- Appalachian Cottontail.
- Marsh Rabbit.
What do wild rabbits in Alabama eat?
Leaves, waste grains, grasses, forbs, bark and stems of young trees and shrubs are important winter foods. LIFE HISTORY AND ECOLOGY: In Alabama, cottontails usually breed from February through early fall.
Do marsh rabbits taste good?
Swamp rabbits are a different species than Cottontails. A young Swamp rabbit is just as good eating as a Cotton Tail. Old ones (whether a cotton tail or swamp) can be rather tough… as my dad used to say, they’re like eatin’ a rubber doll unless you crock pot them or boil ’em in a pressure cooker first.
Can you eat swamp rabbit?
The species is hunted for fur, meat, and sport, and is the second-most commonly hunted rabbit in the United States. Swamp rabbits have several adaptations to avoid predators: cryptic coloration, “freezing”, and rapid, irregular jumping patterns.
What is the marsh rabbits scientific name?
Sylvilagus palustris
Marsh rabbit/Scientific names
Why are marsh rabbits important?
Marsh rabbits eat vegetation in proportion to its abundance. The most important food species for the Lower Keys marsh rabbit appears to be Borrichia frutescens, which is common in the mid-saltmarsh area. The marsh rabbit spends most of its time feeding in the mid- and high- marsh areas (Forys and Humphrey 1994).