Terms of Use | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. BROUGHT TO YOU BY ROUGH & READY MEDIA, DONATION CART    PRIVACY POLICY     CONTACT. You can distinguish a marsh rabbit by its smaller head, ears and feet and its small gray tail that is dark underneath.

More females will breed than males. Marsh rabbits are much smaller in size, averaging between 17 inches long, weighing between 2 to 3 pounds. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! They are vegetarians and much on grasses, sedges and several varieties of wetland / march plants.

Usually lives alone and is nocturnal. The Chesapeake Bay Program is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983. Nests are built from rushes, grasses, and leaves.

They breed all year, but December to June is the peak. Lives in quiet, isolated swamps and marshes. Young often reach sexual maturity before age one. Marsh rabbits are much less observable due to their secretive nature and preference for swampy, remote areas. Marsh rabbits situate their nests on the ground, in thickets or in logs. The female cares for her young until they are weaned, which takes about 12 to 15 days.
In appearance, the Marsh Rabbit is basically a cottontail rabbit without the cottontail. Marsh rabbits have several predators, including bobcats, owls, hawks, alligators and probably coyotes as well. by Kyle Sweet, Sanctuary Golf Club Superintendent. Their feet are small, with long toenails on the hind feet. To be approved for publication, your comments should be civil and avoid name-calling. The nests are lined with grass and breast fur and are located on the ground in thickets, stumps or logs. Get the latest updates on our work delivered to your inbox.

Nests are built of fur and grass within sedges at the edge of the water. Rabbits build their nests in low, dense vegetation, and are often discovered by unsuspecting homeowners when gardening or mowing the lawn. Beyond predators, events such as hurricanes and coastal flooding can take a significant toll on Marsh rabbit populations. Nearly any trip around Sanibel or Captiva at these times will provide for a sight of this prolific local wildlife that is unique in it’s habitat needs, being found all along coastal communites in the Southeastern United States. Their feet are small, with long toenails on the hind feet. Their small, grayish tails are dark underneath.

After treatment, he improved enough to the point that he didn’t gator roll as much, but with a permanent head tilt and gator rolling when stressed due to his head trauma, he is not a good candidate to be released back to the wild. We often see them nesting in the thatchy bottom of native grasses such as fakahatchee and spartina grasses all along water edges on the course. Adult females produce up to 6 litters per year with an average annual production of 15 to 20 young. Unfortunately, they have an appetite for many ornamental landscape plants on Sanibel and Captiva and have been the scourge of many workers on the island as landscapes, including turfgrasses, are being greatly affected and is currently a big topic of conversation.
(Photo courtesy Perry Everett/iNaturalist CC BY-NC). 223 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

One problem for any predator may be the unique fact that the Marsh rabbit is an excellent swimmer and will swim for long distances to avoid being on the menu.

Marsh rabbits feed on aquatic plants such as cattails, duck potato, water hyacinth and marsh grasses. Privacy Policy, Chesapeake Bay Program The scientific name Sylvilagus palustris derives from a combination of the Latin words silva and lagos, plus palustris. On average, a female marsh rabbit produces six or seven litters of two to four young per litter each year. One problem for any predator may be the unique fact that the Marsh rabbit is an excellent swimmer and will swim for long distances to avoid being on the menu.