Sylvilagus obscurus
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The Appalachian cottontail (Sylvilagus obscurus) is a species of cottontail rabbit in the family Leporidae. It is a rare species found in the upland areas of the eastern United States. The Appalachian cottontail was only recognized as separate from the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) in 1992. It was distinguished based on its unique skull structure and karyotype in a study by Joseph A. Chapman and colleagues, who gave the species the type locality of "Dolly Sods Scenic Area, Grant County, West Virginia". Compared to the New England cottontail, the Appalachian cottontail has six fewer chromosomes. It has no subspecies.
The Appalachian cottontail is a small light-yellow brown rabbit. It has brown and black mixed fur on its back and a brown and red patch along its neck. It is mostly white underneath. S. obscurus is often visually quite similar to the eastern cottontail; a distinguishing factor is a black spot between the ears and a lack of a white spot on the forehead. The Appalachian cottontail has an adult combined head and body length of 15 to 17 inches (39 to 43 cm) and a tail length of 0.9 to 2.6 inches (2.2 to 6.5 cm). Its ears... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Appalachian Cottontail sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 25th most-seen of the 27 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March, May and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Appalachian Cottontail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, June–August and October–February, the lowest months.
Between 4 and 7 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Appalachian Cottontail sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Appalachian Cottontail sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Appalachian Cottontail is recorded against all the mammals logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (13 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
