marsh rabbit

mammal

Also known as: Sylvilagus palustris

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July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

The marsh rabbit, also known as the marsh hare, is a small hare found in marshy areas along the U.S. coast from North Carolina to Florida. It is larger than a cottontail rabbit and has slender, less hairy feet. The term "marsh rabbit" can also refer to the swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus), a larger rabbit found in moist lowlands of the Mississippi Valley and southeastern U.S.. Swamp rabbits are closely related to cottontails but are larger and darker. Rabbits are herbivores, primarily eating grasses and forbs, and have a specialized digestive system to process cellulose.123

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rabbit
Diversity and conservation status
aquaticus, and the marsh rabbit, S. palustris). Two other genera of rabbit also live in North America. The volcano rabbit, or zacatuche, inhabits dense undergrowth of bunchgrass in pine forests in the high mountains surrounding Mexico City. A population of only about 6,000 remains in fragments of habitat.…
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aquaticus, and the marsh rabbit, S. palustris). Two other genera of rabbit also live in North America. The volcano rabbit, or zacatuche, inhabits dense undergrowth of bunchgrass in pine forests in the high mountains surrounding Mexico City. A population of only about 6,000 remains in fragments of habitat.…
Read More