Swamp Rabbit

Largest of the "cottontails" within its range, the swamp rabbit has course pelage and is short for a rabbit.  The upper parts are grayish brown with some white underneath, heavily lined with blackish.  Its rump, upperside of tail, and back of hind legs are a dull ochraceous brown. The sides of its head and body are paler than its back with its  front legs and the top of its hind feet a cinnamon rufous.  The average weight of the swamp rabbit is between 2.2- 2.7 kg (4.8- 6 lbs); the average length is 534 mm. Females and males of this species are about the same size, which is uncommon for this genus (females are usually larger).  Ears are of medium size, around 2.6 inches in length. Hair is short and thin. They eat river cane, grasses, sedges, tree seedlings and other soft stemmed plants.  They have the capacity to reproduce year-round, but litters (up to five) are generally born between February through mid-July when vegetation is most lush.  

Swamp rabbits live in cane thickets along rivers, in brush bordering swamps or in bottomland forests.  Swamp rabbits are never far from open water or swamps and are usually found within 2 km of permanent water.  The major portion of the species' range is along the Gulf coast in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas and inland in Georgia and Arkansas.