Sylvilagus aquaticus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus), also known as the cane cutter, swamper, or cane jake, is a species of cottontail rabbit found in the swamps and wetlands of the southern United States. It is herbivorous, territorial, and nocturnal. The largest of the cottontail rabbits, it is similar in appearance to the eastern cottontail, but has distinctly smaller ears and orange-colored hind legs. Swamp rabbits are closely related to the marsh rabbit. The two species likely separated during the Pleistocene epoch.
The swamp rabbit is most abundant in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and also inhabits South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia. Its habitat is largely dominated by regions near lowland water. Unlike other cottontail rabbits, the swamp rabbit is territorial and maintains a social order between higher- and lower-ranking males and females via displays of dominance, vocalizations, and occasional fighting. This rabbit is unique in that it ventures into water on its own, unlike other Texas rabbits, and is rarely spotted during the day due to its secretive nature. When threatened, it will take to water and swim. Swamp rabbits in a given population usually breed around the same time, giving birth to young that are born blind, immobile, and completely dependent for the first few days. Their nests—called forms—are lined with fur and grass. Each litter produces one to six young. The breeding season varies across the species' range: In Texas, the breeding season lasts all year, but elsewhere occurs between February and August.
Predators, parasites, and human interaction pose threats to the swamp rabbit. Dogs, American alligators, and feral pigs prey upon the swamp rabbit, and it is a potential host to several parasites such as roundworms, flukes, and the rabbit tick. The swamp rabbit is also affected by tularemia, an infectious disease. It is hunted for its meat and fur, and faces habitat loss due to expansion of agricultural developments that both remove usable habitat and cause frequent flooding. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as a least-concern species, but in some states it is protected as a vulnerable or special concern species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Swamp Rabbit sighting in Houston on a given day, based on 479 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 4th most-seen of the 17 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Swamp Rabbit in Houston on a given day, against about 10% in January–February, September and November, the lowest months.
Only Houston, in our data
Houston is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Swamp Rabbit sightings: about 20% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Swamp Rabbit is recorded against all the mammals logged in Houston (479 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
