A Visit from a Cottontail

Being the early bird or morning lark, just after I get up, I often will take a quick look through the windows outside in the dark before I turn the lights on and consequently scare off any wildlife that may have ventured near the house. For the last couple of mornings I have witnessed a small bunny eating the cracked corn that I have spread out on top of the snow near the bird feeder. This is likely an eastern cottontail [Sylvilagus floridanus] the only wild rabbit common to this area. The only other similar species here is the ever common snowshoe hare [Lepus americanus] which is technically a hare, not a rabbit. The snowshoe however in winter changes to a white coat thus clearly distinguishing it from the cottontail at this time of year.