Leporidae in the context of "Cottontail rabbit"

Rabbits or bunnies are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated form of livestock, and a pet, having a widespread effect on ecologies and cultures. The most widespread rabbit genera are Oryctolagus and Sylvilagus. The former, Oryctolagus, includes the European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, which is the ancestor of the hundreds of breeds of domestic rabbit and has been introduced on every continent except Antarctica. The latter, Sylvilagus, includes over 13 wild rabbit species, among them the cottontails and tapetis. Wild rabbits not included in Oryctolagus and Sylvilagus include several species of limited distribution, including the pygmy rabbit, volcano rabbit, and Sumatran striped rabbit.

Rabbits are a paraphyletic grouping, and do not constitute a clade, as hares (belonging to the genus Lepus) are nested within the Leporidae clade and are not described as rabbits. Although once considered rodents, lagomorphs diverged earlier and have a number of traits rodents lack, including two extra incisors. Similarities between rabbits and rodents were once attributed to convergent evolution, but studies in molecular biology have found a common ancestor between lagomorphs and rodents and place them in the clade Glires.

Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus Lepus. They are herbivores and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The genus includes the largest lagomorphs. Most are fast runners with long, powerful hind legs, and large ears that dissipate body heat. Hare species are native to Africa, Eurasia and North America. A hare less than one year old is called a "leveret".

Members of the Lepus genus are considered true hares, distinguishing them from rabbits which make up the rest of the Leporidae family. However, there are five leporid species with "hare" in their common names which are not considered true hares: the hispid hare (Caprolagus hispidus), and four species known as red rock hares (Pronolagus). Conversely, several Lepus species are called "jackrabbits", but classed as hares rather than rabbits. The pet known as the Belgian hare is a domesticated European rabbit which has been selectively bred to resemble a hare.

A pika (/ˈpiːkə/ PEE-kə, US also /ˈpaɪkə/ PY-kə) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal native to Asia and North America. With short limbs, a very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative the rabbit, but with short, rounded ears. The large-eared pika of the Himalayas and nearby mountains lives at elevations of more than 6,000 m (20,000 ft).

The name pika appears to be derived from the Tungusic piika, and the scientific name Ochotona is derived from the Mongolian word ogotno (оготно), which means 'pika'. It is used for any member of the Ochotonidae (/ˌɒkəˈtoʊnɪdeɪ/), a family within the order of lagomorphs, the order which also includes the Leporidae (rabbits and hares). They are the smallest animal in the lagomorph group. Only one genus, Ochotona (/ˌɒkəˈtoʊnə/ OK-ə-TOHN-ə), is extant within the family, covering 37 species, though many fossil genera are known. Another species, the Sardinian pika, belonging to the separate genus Prolagus, has become extinct within the last 2,000 years owing to human activity.

The lagomorphs (from Ancient Greek λαγώς lagós 'hare' and μορφή morphḗ 'form') are the members of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha, of which there are two living families: the Leporidae (rabbits and hares) and the Ochotonidae (pikas). There are 110 recent species of lagomorph, of which 109 species in twelve genera are extant, including ten genera of rabbits (42 species), one genus of hare (33 species), and one genus of pika (34 species); and in which one monospecific genus is recently extinct, that of the Sardinian pika.

Cottontail rabbits comprise the genus Sylvilagus, which is in the family Leporidae. They are found in the Americas. Most Sylvilagus species have stub tails with white undersides that show when they retreat, giving them their characteristic name, but this feature is not present in all Sylvilagus species, nor is it unique to the genus. Their fur ranges from brown to gray and changes throughout the year, depending on the season.

The genus is widely distributed across North America, Central America, and northern and central South America, though most species are confined to particular regions. Most species live in nests called forms, and all have altricial young. They often live on the edges of fields, farms, and other open spaces far from highly populated areas, but sometimes they make their nests in yards and parks near more people. An adult female averages three litters per year, which can be born in any season. Occurrence and litter size depend on several factors, including time of the year, weather, and location. The average litter size is four, but can range from as few as two to as many as eight, most of which do not survive to adulthood. Females can begin reproducing when they are only six months old.

The red rock hares are the four species of rabbit in the genus Pronolagus. They are lagomorphs of the family Leporidae living in rocky habitats across Africa. Three species are restricted to Southern Africa, while one—Smith's red rock hare (P. rupestris)—is found as far north as Kenya. The red rock hares are rufous, dark brown, or reddish-brown-tailed rabbits that vary in size, with some shared physical characteristics being short ears and a lack of an interpareital bone. They have 42 chromosomes and are active during the night, feeding only on plants. Breeding results in litters of one to two altricial young.

The red rock hares have a varied taxonomic history. Initially described as members of the genus Lepus or Oryctolagus, the genus Pronolagus was proposed in 1904 to describe a skeleton of Pronolagus crassicaudatus, which was at that time labeled under the genus Lepus. This would become the type species of the red rock hare genus. Since then, of the currently accepted members, two new species have been described as members of Pronolagus—Jameson's red rock hare (P. randensis) and Hewitt's red rock hare (P. saundersiae, originally a subspecies of P. rupestris)—while the third, Smith's red rock hare, was described in 1834 as Lepus rupestris. Two extinct species have been proposed, but one is a nomen oblitum.