Cottontail?

[pipwin]

Hello Everyone,

We (Eileen H, myself and the rest of our staff ) are writing to see if you have any insight on the bunny pictured below. This little girl was admitted to our wildlife hospital (Volunteers for Wildlife) on Long Island. She had severe head tilt and circling behavior. With the help of some medications, it has since almost totally resolved. On admission, we identified her as a very unique Eastern Cottontail. However, as she grows, we are not totally sure if she is a Cottontail or perhaps a very wild looking domestic.

Over the many years we have been caring for hundreds Eastern Cottontails, we have never seen another one like this. She has a distinctive white blaze down the front of her face. She is not quite full grown yet and is eating on her own. She is a bit nervous being handled.

So, we are posting in the Rabbitry section to get your input! What do you all think? Thanks for taking a look!

Below: Cute Frontal View




And a side view: a little nervous.

 

[tonyshuman]

Not a breeder here, but the head shape and type look somewhat cottontail-y. The white mark on the forehead would be smaller and have disappeared by now, though. Maybe a polish or brittania petite one of the smaller, more hare-looking breeds, with a vienna marking?

I know that Randy says that cottontail/domestic mixes are possible, although that is an issue of some debate.

 

[Pipp]

Wow, what an awesome looking bunny! I think this is a Pam Nock question.

I know that cottontails can have white streaks as babies, although that's quite a blaze. If she has the cottontail shape and coloring and if her back legs look longer and leaner, I'd say she's a uniquely marked cottontail.

How old do you think she is? A baby or almost an adult? Eastern Cottontails are small, right? They only get to about 3 lbs?

Its been generally accepted that cottontails and domestics can 'mate' but can't successfully produce kits together, they're not the same species, different chromosomes. If this has been disputed recently, I can't find a documented case, maybe Randy can supply one?

But even if it's true, it would be extremely uncommon and thus unlikely. I'm voting a very cute cottontail.

EDIT: Looking at the 'head on' pic again, I'm having second thoughts because of the 'chubby cheek' look. I'd love to hear what Pam has to say.


sas :bunnydance:

 

[pamnock]

Most eastern cottontails are born with a small blaze on the head. Occasionally, there are some with large, permanent blazes.

Experiments have shown that the zygote of a cottontail x domestic will begin to divide, but die after a few divisions. So, the egg is fertilized, but never completes development. I've never heard of a published case where a true proven hybrid has been produced - but it would not be beyond possibility.

 

[Pipp]

Yay Pam!

PS: Can you please reduce the size of your photos? Photobucket has a large forum option, I think around 400 x 600. It would be a lot easier to see the posts, thanks!


sas :bunnydance:

 

[pipwin]

Thanks everyone for your input.

There are some photos like the first one that make us think she is not a cottontail. Others like the second lead me to believe she is. She does have skinny long legs and the hind end looks very Cottontail like. The ears and the face trip us up.

Not full grown yet at all. Full grown Cottontails are roughly between 2.5 and 3 ish pounds. I can't recall her weight from the top of my head but she definitely is a baby from early this year (maybe March.) Probably around 10 inches in length. She is entirely self feeding.

Pipp- I went to resize the photos but it says I can't edit since it's been too long since the post. Is there a way to edit after that time has passed?

 

[Hazel-Mom]

Could it be a New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis)? They would be native in your area, but very rare. They look quite similar to a regular Eastern Cottontail though, from what I've read.

 

[pamnock]

Hazel-Mom wrote:

Could it be a New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis)? They would be native in your area, but very rare. They look quite similar to a regular Eastern Cottontail though, from what I've read.

The two are so close in appearancethat the only positive way to identify them is through DNA testing.

 

[Pipp]

I could be wrong but I think if you resize the photobucket image, it retains the same code and the link shows the edited version.

I guess we can test that theory if you try resizing it on you PB account. If the code remains the same, a refresh here should see the new size.


sas :bunnydance:

 

[mistyjr]

I fixed your pictures!

 

[Hazel-Mom]

No, you deleted them. They don't show up anymore.

 

[whaleyk98]

I dont see any pics =( Id love to see her.

 

[pipwin]

 

[LV426]

Ears are a bit small for a North American Cottontail.
The face looks off too. Maybe it's just a domestic rabbit with agouti coloring of a wild rabbit.

 

[Hazel-Mom]

Do you have a picture of the whole body?
After looking some more at the pictures, the head and shaggy fur look like "Lepus americanus", aka varying hare or snowshoe hare.
You're at the southern edge of it's range, too.

 

[pipwin]

I'll try to take some whole body shots when we handle her today. Photos are a bit hard to come by because she's nervous.