Family LEPORIDAE 195 



week, their fur is considerably longer and their eyes are open. 

 At about 2 weeks of age the young nibble on grasses. 



The cottontail feeds preferably on grasses and broad-leaved 

 weeds, but eats other vegetation also. It commonly feeds on 

 bluegrass, clover, dandelion, plantain, alfalfa, and soybean plants. 

 In winter, it may be forced to turn to buds, bark, and twigs, 

 particularly of dogwood, elm, rose, and apple. 



A multitude of enemies harass the cottontail. Among these 

 are dogs, foxes, owls, weasels, and minks, as well as men and 

 their guns. The cottontail attempts to avoid predators by run- 

 ning away or by freezing. It will remain quiet and still as if 

 frozen to a spot until danger approaches too close; then, with 

 an explosive burst of speed, it will bounce to another spot suffi- 

 ciently far away, and where cover is available, and again freeze. 



Signs. — Footprints of the cottontail in snow, dusty paths, 

 or soft damp ground are easily recognized. When this animal 

 travels at its usual gait, which is a hop, prints of the hind feet 

 lie side by side and in front of those of the front feet, one of 

 which trails the other, fig. 16. The print of each hind foot is 

 2 to 4 inches long. When the rabbit is hopping slowly, the 

 prints of the front and hind feet may lie side by side but, when 

 it is feeding, the front feet are placed in front of the hind feet. 

 Each print is pointed like the tip of an arrowhead. The spherical 

 droppings are each about 10 mm., or somewhat less than Yi inch, 

 in diameter. 



Distribution. — The eastern cottontail, common throughout 

 Illinois, fluctuates in abundance from year to year. Two sub- 

 species occur in this state, Sylvilagus floridanus alacer (Bangs) 

 south of the Shawnee Hills and S. f. mearnsii (Allen) in the 

 rest of Illinois. The range of the species includes the eastern 

 United States as far north as northeastern Connecticut and 

 central New York, westward through southern Ontario to 

 southern Manitoba, and southward through parts of Colorado, 

 Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona into Mexico. 



SYLVILAGUS AQUATICUS (Bachman) 



Swamp Rabbit 



Description. — The swamp rabbit is similar to the eastern 

 cottontail, but it is larger, is darker on the upper parts, and has 

 more reddish brown on the body. 



