New York State is home to two different species of cottontail rabbit, the Eastern cottontail, and the New England cottontail. Pennsylvania is also home to two different species, the Eastern and the Appalachian. Let’s learn a little bit about them.

Eastern cottontails are the newer species in both regions, having been introduced sometime in the early to mid-1900s throughout the northeastern states. While the population of New England cottontails has been steadily declining in NY, the Eastern is better able to adapt to changing habitat and has been stable.

Cottontails are not rodents; instead, they are classified as lagomorphs. Lagomorphs differ from rodents by having a second set of incisor teeth behind their first set.

Cottontails are found throughout New York, with the exception of the central Adirondacks. The New England cottontail is primarily found in the Hudson Valley and in the eastern foothills of the Adirondack Park. New England cottontails prefer dense brushy cover. Their numbers are declining due to lack of habitat as forests throughout the state mature.

Eastern cottontails prefer more open habitat like fields, but can adapt to many other areas. The Eastern competes directly with the native New England and is pushing them out of their traditional range. If the pattern continues, the New England cottontail may no longer be found in NY in the future.

The Appalachian cottontail is somewhat smaller than the Eastern. Called the “woods rabbit,” the Appalachian is found in higher elevations. They have a blaze of black fur on the middle of the forehead which can sometimes be used to tell them apart from the Eastern.

It’s very hard to tell a New England cottontail from an Eastern. The wildlife biologists say that the only real way to tell is by a postmortem measurement of the animal’s skull.

As I pen these words, there is a pair of cottontail rabbits chasing each other around in circles and hopping up and down near the brush pile in the backyard. That can only mean one thing – more baby rabbits! 

If conditions are favorable, females have 3 or 4 litters each season. There are 3 to 8 young born in each litter. Baby cottontails are born blind, naked, and helpless, unlike baby hares that are born with fur, full sight and able to hop around within hours of birth.

Young cottontails are only about 3 to 5 cm long when born (that’s only an inch or two). The gestation period is 28 days and after being born the baby rabbits nurse for 20 days before they no longer need full time parental care.

Let’s all be on the lookout for baby rabbits while we enjoy the outdoors!