Lapin à queue blanche— species and hunting in Quebec

The eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) is a species of rabbit in the family Leporidae. It is the most widespread and abundant rabbit species in North America, inhabiting a wide range that extends from southern Canada throughout most of the United States and into parts of Mexico, Central America, and the northern regions of South America. Known for its distinctive fluffy white tail, which resembles a cotton ball and gives the species its common name, the eastern cottontail typically inhabits open fields, meadows, and brushy areas where it can easily find cover and food. It is a primarily herbivorous, crepuscular mammal that feeds on grasses, herbs, twigs, and bark, and plays an important role in the ecosystem as prey for a variety of predators including foxes, hawks, and owls. Due to its adaptability to human-altered landscapes such as suburban and agricultural areas, the eastern cottontail has maintained stable population levels and is not considered threatened. It is also well known for its high reproductive rate, with females capable of producing multiple large litters annually, which contributes to its widespread presence.

Description

The eastern cottontail has a distinctive white spot on its forehead when young and fur that ranges from reddish-brown to grayish-brown, with large hind feet, long ears, and a short, fluffy white tail. Its underside is white, and there is a rusty patch near the tail. It differs from a hare in its overall smaller size and brownish-gray coloring around the head and neck, with a lighter-colored body and a white underside on the tail. The species also has large brown eyes and long ears adapted for detecting predators. During winter, the eastern cottontail's pelage becomes more gray than brown. Kits (young rabbits) develop a similar coloring after a few weeks but are born with a white blaze running down their forehead, which fades as they mature. This rabbit is medium-sized, measuring 36–48 cm (14–19 in) in total length, including a tail that averages 5.3 cm (2.1 in). Adults typically weigh between 1.8 and 4.4 lb (800 and 2,000 g), with an average of around 2.6 lb (1,200 g). Females tend to be slightly heavier than males, although the sexes broadly overlap in size. The species exhibits slight geographic variation in body size, with individuals generally increasing in mass from southern to northern latitudes, in line with Bergmann's rule. For example, adult specimens from the Florida Museum of Natural History have a mean weight of 2.24 lb (1.018 kg), whereas a study of 346 adults from Michigan found an average mass of 3.19 lb (1.445 kg).