Eastern Cottontail

Eastern cottontails are the most widespread cottontail rabbit in North America, equally at home in brushy fencerows, overgrown fields, forest edges, and suburban backyards. Brown to grayish-brown above with white underparts, they carry the namesake fluffy white tail along with a rusty patch on the nape and, sometimes, a white spot on the forehead. Like other cottontails, the young are born blind and nearly bare in a shallow, fur-lined nest — a sharp contrast to hares, whose young arrive fully furred and moving within hours.