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Status: Native.
Range: Florida. 1
Habitat/Ecology: Herbivorous eats leaves shoots and bark, coprophagic, found in wet habitats, good swimmer. Size to 2 kg. 2 Dentition: 2/1, 0/0, 3/2, 3/3. 3 Breeds year-round, more so December – June. Produces 6-7 litters of 2-4 young each per year. Nests lined with grass and fur, and located in thickets, tree stumps or hollow logs. The young are weaned and foraging for themselves by about 28 days. 4
Identification: Ears much shorter than cottontail, undersides grey (see photo of S. floridana below, note long ears). 1 The only rabbit likely to be seen in salt marsh.
Observations: This animal was seen feeding along the road at CNS. Mowed areas have plant material high in nutrients and these rabbits are frequently seen there in the mornings and evenings. They are taken by red-tailed hawks and large rattlesnakes on land and alligators probably take some in water. Will use water to escape from predators.
1 – Stevenson, 1976. 2 - http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu 3 – Blair et al., 1968.
4 - http://myfwc.com/viewing/species/marshrabbit.htm
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