Eastern cottontail

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/eastern-cottontail

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Sylvilagus floridanus
2. What is the ecological role?Key prey species supporting predator populations and influencing vegetation dynamics through grazing
3. What does an Eastern Cottontail eat?They munch on grasses and herbaceous plants during warmer months, and when food is scarce they turn to twigs and bark from woody plants.
4. Where can you find Eastern Cottontails?They live in open fields, meadows, brushy areas, and even in suburbs, farms, and city parks across North America.

Leporidae: The biological family that includes rabbits and hares.
Herbivore: An animal that feeds on plants.
Crepuscular: Describing animals that are most active during twilight hours (dawn and dusk).
Trophic Level: The position an organism occupies in a food chain.