Eastern cottontail

A small rabbit that stays close to dense cover in southern Quebec.

Field guide

A small rabbit that stays close to dense cover in southern Quebec.

Identification

Shared features

Compact body, relatively short ears and a conspicuous white tail when fleeing.

Male

Both sexes have a compact brown body, short ears and a white tail underside. Males may be smaller on average, but a field view rarely establishes sex.

Female

Females have the same coat and white tail, often averaging slightly larger. Nesting behavior can provide context; appearance alone usually cannot.

Habitat

Brush piles, hedgerows, weedy field edges and young woodland.

Where to look during the day

Morning

At dawn, check grassy edges beside thick brush for feeding rabbits.

Afternoon

In the afternoon, look for tracks and droppings beside sheltered resting cover.

Evening

At dusk, watch short grass next to hedges and thickets.

Sounds

Usually quiet; a frightened rabbit can scream and young may make soft squeaks.

A verified, reusable recording is not available yet for this species.

Natural history source: Read the source

Bag limits

Bag and possession summaries.

-Cottontail rabbits and hares: bag limit of five per day in zone 8, and bag limit of 2 hares per day on Île du Havre Aubert (Îles de la Madeleine, zone 21). There is no daily bag limit for these two species in other hunting zones. Snaring of eastern cottontail rabbits and hares is prohibited in zone 8, on Île d'Orléans (zone 27) and in the Îles de la Madeleine (zone 21).

Official bag-limit source