Eastern Cottontail
(Sylvilagus floridanus)
A species from North America, it is also found in Italy. Little invasive.
Distribution
A species from North America, it is also found in Italy.
Description
Rather small, it can be distinguished from hares due to its smaller size and rounder appearance. The colour of its coat ranges from greyish-brown to greyish-red, while it has a white belly. The underside of its tail is conspicuously white, recalling a boll of cotton. It feeds on green plants in summer and sprouts and twigs in winter, which is why it is considered harmful. The young may fall prey to diurnal and nocturnal birds of prey. When they run, they can jump up to 3–4 metres, which allows them to flee from predators. They run in a zigzag pattern to dispel their traces, reaching a speed of up to 24 km/hr.
Habitat
In early 1966, some individuals imported from the United States (three males and nine females) were freed in the town of Pinerolo on the shore of the Pellice Stream. Given their high rate of reproduction, the species had spread throughout the area in just a few years, while later releases by private parties and even the public administration for hunting purposes enabled their occupation of new, ever broader areas.
Observation in the Torbiera Reserve
An abundant species in the Reserve, they can be seen along every path.
