Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae, which is in the order Lagomorpha. They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated form of livestock, and a pet, having a widespread effect on ecologies and cultures. The most widespread rabbit genera are Oryctolagus and Sylvilagus. The former, Oryctolagus, includes the European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, which is the ancestor of the hundreds of breeds of domestic rabbit and has been introduced on every continent except Antarctica. The latter, Sylvilagus, includes over 13 wild rabbit species, among them the cottontails and tapetis. Wild rabbits not included in Oryctolagus and Sylvilagus include several species of limited distribution, including the pygmy rabbit, volcano rabbit, and Sumatran striped rabbit.
The lagomorphs are the members of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha, of which there are two living families: the Leporidae and the Ochotonidae (pikas). There are 110 recent species of lagomorph, of which only 109 species in twelve genera are extant, including ten genera of rabbits ; one genus of hare and one genus of pika. The name of the order is derived from the Ancient Greek lagos + morphē.
Leporidae is the family of rabbits and hares, containing over 70 species of extant mammals in all. The Latin word Leporidae means "those that resemble lepus" (hare). Together with the pikas, the Leporidae constitute the mammalian order Lagomorpha. Leporidae differ from pikas in that they have short, furry tails and elongated ears and hind legs.
The desert cottontail, also known as Audubon's cottontail, is a New World cottontail rabbit, and a member of the family Leporidae. Unlike the European rabbit, they do not form social burrow systems, but compared with some other leporids, they are extremely tolerant of other individuals in their vicinity.
The swamp rabbit, also called the cane-cutter, is a large cottontail rabbit found in the swamps and wetlands of the southern United States. The species has a strong preference for wet areas, and it will take to the water and swim.
The eastern cottontail is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is the most common rabbit species in North America.
The common tapeti, also known as the Brazilian cottontail, forest cottontail, or (formerly) simply tapeti is a species of cottontail rabbit. It is small to medium-sized with a small, dark tail, short hind feet, and short ears. As traditionally defined, its range extends from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, but this includes several distinctive population that have since been split into separate species. Under this narrower definition, the true common tapeti only occurs in the Atlantic Rainforest of coastal northeastern Brazil and it is classified as "Endangered" by the IUCN. The American Society of Mammalogists concurs, but also tentatively classifies several distinct populations that have not yet received proper species names into S. brasiliensis, and thus considers it to range from Venezuela south to Argentina.
Dice's cottontail is a species of cottontail rabbit in the family Leporidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama, in páramo and cloud forest habitats.
The mountain cottontail or Nuttall's cottontail is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It is found in Canada and the United States.
The marsh rabbit is a small cottontail rabbit found in marshes and swamps of coastal regions of the Eastern and Southern United States. It is a strong swimmer and found only near regions of water. It is similar in appearance to the eastern cottontail but is characterized by smaller ears, legs, and tail.
The Davis Mountains cottontail, robust cottontail or Holzner's cottontail is a species of cottontail rabbit native to high-altitude regions of the southwestern United States and western Mexico.
The Suriname tapeti or Suriname lowland forest cottontail is a South American species of cottontail rabbit described in 2017. It is known from the lowlands of western Suriname, and was described from specimens collected by Dutch scientists in the 1980s. Its size is relatively large for a South American cottontail rabbit. The rabbit is likely already threatened due to environmental degradation in the region, and its discovery could boost conservation efforts in the area. It was discovered by Portland State University Professor Luis Ruedas.
The coastal tapeti, also known as the Rio de Janeiro dwarf cottontail or dwarf tapeti, is a species of cottontail rabbit native to Brazil. Known from only three specimens, captured in the late nineteenth century in the Paraíba Valley, it was for a long time considered to be a subspecies of the common tapeti. Slightly smaller than its close relative, analysis in 2017 confirmed that it is sufficiently distinct in both appearance and genetics to be considered a species in its own right. Due to destruction of its putative habitat in the densely populated Paraíba Valley, it is unclear whether or not the species still survives in the present day.
The Andean tapeti or Andean cottontail is a species of cottontail rabbit native to Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador. It was previously considered a subspecies of the common tapeti. It serves an important ecological role as a pervasive herbivore consuming a wide variety of plant species as well as an important food source for several predators. Some characteristics of the species is a head and body length of 326-353 mm, a small tail 6-7% of its head and body length, long hindfeet of 64-81 mm, dusky appearance, a forehead suffused with brown, ashy gray cheeks and neck sides, and a whitish chin and belly. Living at high elevations in the treeless Páramo of the Andes, analysis in 2017 confirmed that it is sufficiently distinct in both appearance and genetics to be considered a species in its own right. Although widespread, it remains poorly known, as few studies have been conducted on its biology and habits as distinct from those of the tapeti
The Central American tapeti or Gabbi's cottontail is a species of cottontail rabbit native to southern Mexico and much of Central America. It was previously considered a subspecies of the common tapeti but analysis in 2017 confirmed that it is sufficiently distinct in both appearance and genetics to be considered a species in its own right. It is closely related to the northern tapeti, which some authors describe as a subspecies of S. gabbi. The name Gabbi's cottontail comes from American paleontologist William More Gabb.
The Santa Marta tapeti is a species of cottontail rabbit native to the lowlands of northern Colombia. It was previously considered a subspecies of the common tapeti but analysis in 2017 confirmed that it is sufficiently distinct in both appearance and genetics to be considered a species in its own right. The name Santa Marta tapeti is derived from the mountain range where the species was first discovered, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
The Bogota tapeti is a species of cottontail rabbit related to the common tapeti. It is endemic to a region south of the Isthmus of Panama, generally described as "northern Colombia". Previously a subspecies of either the common tapeti or Andean tapeti, it was split and considered a separate species in 2017. Later morphological evidence was examined that supported its separation from S. brasilensis.
The northern tapeti is a species of cottontail rabbit related to the Central American tapeti. Its type locality is an island in the Pearl Islands of Panama. Previously considered a subspecies of the Central American tapeti, and later of the common tapeti from 1950 onwards, it was split into its own separate species in 2019, with researchers noting its "bizarre dental anatomy".
