Fauna Flora Photography

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit Sylvilagus floridanus

Brownish, speckled fur with a short white tail, hence its name “Cottontail”. Eastern Cottontail rabbits are very shy and prefer to hide.

Specs

Length40-45cm
Weight1.5-2.5kg

Common Names

GermanBaumwollschwanz-Kaninchen
EnglishEastern Cottontail Rabbit
FrenchLapin à queue blanche
SpanishConejo castellano

Taxonomy

OrderLagomorpha
FamilyLeporidae
SpeciesSylvilagus floridanus

How to Identify

Although common on the Island of Montreal, they are difficult to spot. The only time I saw this species was near the airport along a rarely used pathway leading into an undeveloped area. Look for them along bushes and forests into open areas.

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) - Boisé Des Douze - 2019-04-21
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (Sylvilagus floridanus) - Technopark - 2017-06-24

Where and When to Spot

The only wild rabbits I saw around Montréal are the eastern cottontail rabbits. I will update this section once I have spotted another species.

Last updated on 2023-12-15. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.