cottontail
Fluffy-rumped hopper
A cottontail is a common North American rabbit, named for its fluffy white tail that resembles a cotton ball.
The word typically refers to wild rabbits of the genus *Sylvilagus*, distinguished from domestic rabbits and hares: We spotted a cottontail in the backyard.
The name evokes the animal's most distinctive feature—the flash of white visible when it bounds away.
Rabbit-like mammal order
- hareLarge wild lagomorph
- jackrabbitLarge North American hare
- bunnyInformal term for rabbit
- coneyArchaic term for rabbit
leveret · buck · doe · kit · litter · warren · burrow · thicket
Organized play or sport
Yielding to touch
- fuzzySoft and unclear
- downyHaving soft, fine texture
- furryCovered in soft hair
- plushThick-pile soft fabric
tufted · velvety · cuddly · gentle · adorable · cute · snuggly · pet
Organism's natural environment
- grasslandTreeless herb-covered ecosystem
- prairieOpen grassy flatland
- underbrushDense low forest vegetation
- brushlandArea of dense shrubs
predation · ecosystem · fauna · foraging · survival · instinct · adaptation · territory
Cluster joined below
- bobtailTruncated animal tail
- whiteAbsence of pigment
- flashBrief burst of light
- signalMessage-conveying cue
alarm · flee · hindquarters · powder-puff · bobbing · warning · distinctive
lagomorph
Rabbit-like mammal order
- hareLarge wild lagomorph
- jackrabbitLarge North American hare
- bunnyInformal term for rabbit
coney · leveret · buck · doe · kit · litter · warren · burrow · thicket · meadow
game
Organized play or sport
flush · season · limit · stew · meat · pelt · fur · sportsman
soft
Yielding to touch
plush · tufted · velvety · cuddly · gentle · adorable · cute · snuggly · pet · stuffed-animal
habitat
Organism's natural environment
- grasslandTreeless herb-covered ecosystem
- prairieOpen grassy flatland
- underbrushDense low forest vegetation
brushland · predation · ecosystem · fauna · foraging · survival · instinct · adaptation · territory · nocturnal
tuft
Cluster joined below
signal · alarm · flee · hindquarters · powder-puff · bobbing · warning · distinctive
- Rabbitsbunny, domestic rabbit, dwarf rabbit, lionhead, pet rabbit
- game animalsdeer, wild boar, pheasant, quail, grouse
- North American wildlifebald eagle, grizzly bear, moose, gray wolf, pronghorn
- Plains wildlifebison, coyote, prairie dog, pronghorn, rattlesnake
- Jumpersfrog, kangaroo, grasshopper, flea, rabbit
- long earsrabbit, bunny, hare, donkey, mule