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Winter Cottontail Rabbit I Over 20 years ago, I painted this quick watercolor for friends. Recently I borrowed the original and lost it shortly after creating the giclée print. I reframed one of the new prints in their original frame then painted a replacement - Winter Cottontail Rabbit II (see next), one of only a very few scenes ever done more than once by me. There are several species of cottontail rabbit, but the Eastern Cottontail,Sylvilagus floridanus,is the most common. It is chunky red-brown or gray-brown in appearance with large hind feet, long ears, and a short fluffy white tail. This ubiquitous animal can be found from Canada to South America and, in the United States, from the East Coast to the Great Plains. Cottontails browse at night on grasses and herbs and are fond of garden fare such as peas and, of course, lettuce. In winter, their diet consists of bark, twigs, and buds. Females give birth in shallow ground nests, to young so helpless that perhaps only 15% survive their first year. Fortunately, rabbits breed three or four times every year and produce three to eight young each time. Young rabbits mature quickly and are self-sufficient after only four or five weeks. They are sexually mature after only two or three months, so populations are able to grow with staggering speed. Cottontails are plentiful and can be problematic for farmer's crops. They are also popular game animals that some say "taste like chicken". The original watercolor has been lost but limited edition prints and note cards are available. Click here for availability and price.