| Swamp Rabbit[1] | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Lagomorpha |
| Family: | Leporidae |
| Genus: | Sylvilagus |
| Species: | S. aquaticus |
| Binomial name | |
| Sylvilagus aquaticus (Bachman, 1837) |
|
| Swamp Rabbit range | |
The Swamp Rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) is a large cottontail rabbit found in the swamps and wetlands of the Southern United States.
Contents |
S. aquaticus is similar in appearance to other cottontails, although it is among the largest members of the genus. It is generally brown, with the bottom of its stubby tail colored white. Adult male and female specimens of this species weigh between three and six pounds (1.5–2.7 kg). In lagomorphs, the female is commonly larger than the male.
The swamp rabbit eats reeds, plants, and grasses native to its marshy habitat. The swamp rabbit nests above ground in small dens made of dead plants and lined with its shed fur. When fleeing a predator, the swamp rabbit can run over 45 miles per hour, usually in an evasive zig-zag pattern.
S. aquaticus is a skilled swimmer, often crossing streams, ponds and rivers. The semi-aquatic cottontail will occasionally hide from natural enemies by sitting still in shallow water, exposing only its nose to the air to breathe.
This rabbit leaves characteristic pellet-like droppings atop moss-covered fallen logs throughout its territory.
In 1979 the swamp rabbit species enjoyed a brief stint of notoriety when one swamp rabbit had a close encounter with Jimmy Carter. In April of that year, as President Carter was fishing on a small pond on his farm, a visibly agitated swamp rabbit approached his boat and tried to board. Carter used a paddle to splash water at the rabbit in order to dissuade it from swimming towards the boat. The press dubbed this the "Killer Rabbit", in honour of the violent rabbit in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.