MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • May 15, 2022
One of the state’s lesser-known mammals is also one of its most threatened. The New England cottontail is listed as an endangered species in Maine, known to occur only in six towns since their population has plummeted because of habitat loss. Among the efforts to protect them, the state has reintroduced captive-raised individuals to a few sites where habitats are being restored or maintained specifically for this species. New England cottontails are Maine’s only true rabbit. We also have snowshoe hares, which is likely the “rabbit” that you’ve encountered in Maine, but as the name implies, those are “hares” instead of “rabbits.” ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox