How to identify it
Yellowish brown mixed with black above, reddish-brown patch over the neck, lighter sides and white underside; short tail dark above and white beneath; 38.6-43.0 cm long, 0.8-1.0 kg. [1][2]
Compared with the eastern cottontail: slightly smaller, shorter rounded ears with black edging, a black spot between the ears and no white forehead spot. [1][2]
Nearly indistinguishable from the New England cottontail in the field; distinguished by range (Appalachian is south or west of the Hudson River in New York) or skull. [1][2]
Compared with the new england cottontail: Nearly indistinguishable in the field; range differs, with Appalachian south or west of the Hudson River in New York. [1][2]
Compared with the eastern cottontail: Eastern is slightly larger with longer ears, usually a white forehead spot, and lacks the black spot between the ears. [1][2]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- New England cottontail · Sylvilagus transitionalis
- Eastern cottontail · Sylvilagus floridanus
Where it lives
High-elevation (generally above about 760 m) conifer forest and dense shrub cover such as mountain laurel, rhododendron, blueberry and blackberry; also young clearcuts. Nests are ground depressions lined with grass and fur. [1][2]
How it behaves
Crepuscular, resting by day in cover such as under a log; active year-round and solitary, with male dominance hierarchies. [1][2]
Diet: grasses, forbs and conifer needles, leaves, twigs and fruits; winter diet is mostly twigs, bark and buds (85% in Maryland and West Virginia) or evergreen needles in snow. [1][2]
Home range up to 13.3 ha for breeding males and as little as 1.5 ha for females; litters of 3-5, occasionally 8. [1][2]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Georgia — hunting · 2026-2027 Georgia Hunting and Fishing Regulations and Seasons (official WRD guide, publuu-hosted PDF, p.16)
- Kentucky — hunting, trapping · Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, August 2026-March 2027
- North Carolina — hunting, trapping · Hunting and Trapping Season Dates for July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027 (NCWRC)
- South Carolina — hunting · 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting & Fishing Laws and Regulations Guide
- Tennessee — hunting · Summary of Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Seasons Dates | TWRA
- Virginia — hunting, trapping · Small Game Hunting Regulations and Seasons | Virginia DWR
- West Virginia — hunting · West Virginia 2026-2027 Hunting Season Dates | WVDNR
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Appalachian Mountains from the Hudson River in New York to northern Alabama; NatureServe lists Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Not recorded for Canada.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALNatureServe Explorer taxon record (API)
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology