© Pete Saloutos/Panoramic Images (Maine Title Image Large)
New England Cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis)
Why would a rabbit, the epitome of prolific breeding, be considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act? The New England cottontail is in just this predicament. Its population numbers are declining. As recently as 1960, New England cottontails were found east of the Hudson River in New York, across all of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, north to southern Vermont and New Hampshire, and into southern Maine. Today, this rabbit's range has shrunk by more than 75 percent. Its numbers are so greatly diminished that it can no longer be found in Vermont and has been reduced to only five smaller populations throughout its historic range.
You can learn more about this species by reading its fact sheet here and by reading "A Landowner's Guide to New England Cottontail Habitat Management" by Margaraet Arbuthnot.