Mammals crepuscular

Marsh Rabbit

Sylvilagus palustris

The marsh rabbit is the Southeast’s most surprising swimmer, a dark-furred wetland specialist that prefers a paddle in the swamp to a hop in the meadow.

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Quick Identification

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Size

14-17 inches (35-43 cm) in length; weight 2.2-3.6 lbs (1-1.6 kg)

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Colors

Upperparts are dark brown to blackish; belly and underside of tail are a dull grayish-brown; reddish-brown patch on the nape of the neck.

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Key Features

Short, rounded ears and small feet
Grayish-brown underside of tail (not white)
Darker, sootier fur compared to other cottontails
Semi-aquatic behavior and visible swimming ability

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern crepuscular

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Peak hours 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM and 5:00 AM - 7:00 AM

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Season Year-round

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Diet Strictly herbivorous, focusing on aquatic plants like cattails, water hyacinths, marsh grasses, and duckweed. In drier areas, they will eat wild blackberries, clover, and the bark of young trees.

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Habitat Coastal marshes, freshwater swamps, wet prairies, and brackish wetlands across the Southeastern United States.

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Behavior

The marsh rabbit is a unique member of the rabbit family that has fully embraced a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Unlike its cousin, the eastern cottontail, which usually flees across open fields, the marsh rabbit is just as likely to dive into a canal or pond to escape a predator. They are incredibly strong swimmers, using their hind legs to paddle efficiently through marshes and swamps. They even have the ability to float with only their nose and eyes above the waterline, much like an alligator or nutria.

These rabbits are primarily solitary and crepuscular, meaning they are most active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk. Interestingly, marsh rabbits are known to walk on all four legs like a cat rather than hopping like most other lagomorphs. This 'walking' gait allows them to move quietly through the thick, muddy vegetation of their wetland homes without getting stuck or making a loud splash that might alert a hawk or bobcat.

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Camera Tips

When setting up an AI-powered camera for marsh rabbits, the most important factor is height. These are small mammals that stay low to the ground; your camera should be mounted no higher than 8 to 12 inches from the floor. Look for 'runways'—narrow, worn paths through tall marsh grass or reeds. Marsh rabbits are creatures of habit and will use these same paths daily to move from their sleeping thickets to their feeding grounds near the water.

Because they are often found in wet, muddy environments, use a sturdy stake for your camera rather than a heavy tripod that might sink. Position the camera at a 45-degree angle to the trail rather than perpendicular. This gives the camera’s motion sensor more time to trigger and ensures the rabbit stays in the frame longer as it 'walks' toward or away from the lens. If your property borders a pond or canal, aim the camera at the muddy transition zone between the grass and the water's edge to capture their unique swimming entries or exits.

Marsh rabbits have very dark fur that absorbs light, making them difficult to see in nighttime black-and-white infrared footage. To get the best results, set your camera to a 'High' PIR (passive infrared) sensitivity and use a medium-range flash setting to avoid overexposing the foreground. If your camera supports it, recording 15-second video clips is superior to still photos for this species, as it allows you to observe their distinctive walking gait and aquatic comfort, which are the best ways to distinguish them from other rabbit species.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Marsh Rabbit.

Eastern Cottontail

The Eastern Cottontail has a bright white underside to its tail and significantly longer ears and legs.

Swamp Rabbit

The Swamp Rabbit is much larger (the largest of the cottontails) and has more white on its belly, though it also swims.

Frequently Asked Questions

Marsh rabbits are primarily crepuscular, meaning they are most active during the dim light of dawn and dusk. However, they are also frequently active throughout the night (nocturnal) to avoid daytime predators like hawks and eagles.

The best way to attract marsh rabbits is to maintain native wetland vegetation. Avoid mowing directly to the edge of water sources like ponds or canals. Providing low-lying brush piles and planting native marsh grasses will give them the cover they need to feel safe visiting your yard.

Marsh rabbits eat a wide variety of wetland plants, including cattails, marsh grass, and water hyacinth. They are also known to eat berries, rhizomes, and the bark of woody plants during the winter when green vegetation is less available.

They are common in suburban areas that are adjacent to coastal regions or inland wetlands, particularly in Florida and coastal Georgia. If your neighborhood has retention ponds or drainage canals with plenty of vegetation, you likely have marsh rabbits nearby.

Look at the tail and the ears. An eastern cottontail has a fluffy white 'cotton' tail and long ears. A marsh rabbit has a much smaller, dark grayish tail and shorter, more rounded ears. Additionally, marsh rabbits have darker, more uniform brown fur.

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