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We are looking for New England cottontail populations in southern and coastal Maine
If you see a rabbit that might be a New England cottontail (NEC), please take note of the following:
- Date
- Time
- Location
- Town
- What habitat the rabbit was in (shrubs, forest, backyard, etc.)
- Characteristics of what led you to believe it was a cottontail (please do not report known snowshoe hares) - find what to look for below!
- If you can grab a photo, even better!
And share it with us at mefishwildlife.com/rabbits
Your report will hopefully help us detect currently unknown NEC populations. Click the link below to learn how to identify NEC and about our ongoing restoration efforts.
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 Medium-sized rabbits
14-17 inches long
1-2.5 pounds
Dark brown fur with a wash of black-tipped fur
Black edge to their ears
Black spot between the ears (typically not seen at a distance)
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Very similar to NEC, a white spot on the forehead (which NEC never have)
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 Photo by Paul Cyr
Larger than cottontails
2.5-4 pounds
Longer feet and ears than NEC
White in the winter, brown fur the rest of the year
White edge to the ears
Hare leverets (young born that year) also have more of a grizzled appearance. May have a white spot on forehead similar to Eastern cottontail
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