Marsh Rabbit

About the Marsh Rabbit

The marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris) is a small cottontail rabbit found in marshes and swamps of coastal regions of the Eastern and Southern United States, from Virginia to the lower Florida Keys. Being a small brown rabbit, it is similar in appearance to the widespread eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), but is characterized by its smaller ears, legs, and tail, as well as its grayish-brown underparts.

Marsh rabbits are common throughout their range, except for in the Everglades, where the invasive Burmese python has reduced their numbers, and the lower Florida Keys, where the subspecies known as the Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) is threatened by rising sea levels and human development of the land. They prefer to live in marshes, swamps, and alongside coastal waters and rivers, as they are excellent swimmers. The marsh rabbit is often compared to the aquatic swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus), which is found along the Gulf coast and further inland in the southeastern United States, though the swamp rabbit has larger ears, tail and legs, as well as a distinctly white underside of its tail.

Like other rabbits, the marsh rabbit is a herbivore, and will eat the leaves and bulbs of various aquatic plants, such as cattails and marsh pennywort. It will also eat crops, such as carrot, sweet potato, and sugar cane, which has caused it to be labeled as a pest. The marsh rabbit is nocturnal and will dig out shelters in the ground with its long toenails to hide and rest in during the daytime, and though it does not create burrows like some other rabbits, it will take advantage of those left behind by other animals. The rabbit's long nails also help it to swim. Some predators of the marsh rabbit include birds of prey, such as owls and the northern harrier, and land animals like bobcats and snakes. Rabbit ticks and other parasites are often found on and in the marsh rabbit, and cases of tularemia and mange are known from it as well.

Humans have some history with marsh rabbits, with the species' diet of aquatic and cultivated plants making it considered as a pest, especially in Florida where sugar cane is grown. Some states regulate marsh rabbits as game animals for hunting, where patches of dried grass may be burned to flush them out. As food, the marsh rabbit may be stewed, or it may be marinated, floured, and fried. The term "marsh rabbit" is used in some restaurants in the eastern United States as a euphemism for muskrat meat. Wikipedia →