Habitat Requirements
Cottontails live throughout the South from bottomlands and marshes to the highest mountain balds. They thrive in openings wherever shrubs, grasses, and forbs dominate. Cottontails commonly occur in old homesites, abandoned orchards and agricultural fields, young forest, sumac and other shrubland patches, and brush piles. They adapt easily to live near humans and are common in urban areas.
Food
| Wild rye | Gallberry |
| Kentucky bluegrass | Wild strawberry |
| Aster | Phlox |
| Blackberry | Sumac |
| New Jersey tea | Sassafrass |
Cover
Cottontails use open areas with dense cover of shrubs and herbaceous vegetation. Dense shrubs, briar patches, and brush piles are used for escape cover. Nests are usually in grass or forb cover. Interspersion of cover types, or small areas in close proximity, is ideal for rabbits.
Cottontails are a food source for many mammalian and avian predators. Cottontails can generally withstand heavy predation if appropriate amounts of food and cover is present.
Nests are dug in the ground and lined with grass and loose fur. Nests are relatively small, about 4" across and 4" deep. The female rabbit, or doe, typically has 2 or 3 litters per season with 3-8 rabbits per litter. After brooding, the nest is abandoned.
Water
Succulent plants and dew provide the daily requirements for water. Although open water may be readily used, it is not a necessary element of their habitat.
Home Range
The home range of female cottontails is about 20 acres during breeding season and 15 acres in fall and winter. Adult males range up to 100 acres or more. Juveniles cover an average of 9 acres in late summer and up to 15 acres in fall.
Rabbit Management
Tips for Improving Rabbit Habitat
General
- Create small stands (10 to 20 acres) close to fields, swamps, and streams
- Thin pine stands frequently (3 to 5 years) to stimulate understory growth
- Use prescribed burning in pine types during winter months
- Keep pets (cats and dogs) confined especially during nesting periods
Direct improvements
- Maintain openings and create brush piles along edges
- Use a brush mower in abandoned or fallow fields every 2 to 3 years to maintain briar thickets, or alternating treatments that leave strips of continuous food and shrubby cover in close proximity
- Create "live" brush piles by cutting the base of saplings halfway through and staking the tree top to the ground (cedars, hollys, etc.)
- “Daylight “ forest roads by removing trees along road edges to stimulate herbaceous plants and brush regrowth
Species That Benefit From Rabbit Management
Numerous game and nongame species benefit from rabbit management practices. Management plans should emphasize the communities that are associated with rabbits, rather than rabbits alone. The following species are common rabbit associates:
- Northern bobwhite (quail)
- Field sparrow
- White-tailed deer
- Red-tailed hawk
- Gray fox
- Eastern meadowlark
- Yellow-breasted chat
- Indigo bunting
- Black rat snake
- Cotton rat
- Red fox
Working With Wildlife
North Carolina State University Extension - Forestry
Working With Wildlife Series
Publication date: Feb. 27, 2019
Revised: July 1, 2019
N.C. Cooperative Extension prohibits discrimination and harassment regardless of age, color, disability, family and marital status, gender identity, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation and veteran status.
N.C. Cooperative Extension prohibits discrimination and harassment regardless of age, color, disability, family and marital status, gender identity, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation and veteran status.