The cottontail rabbit, widespread across North and Central America, is known primarily for its speed and agility. These lagomorphs are constantly attentive to their surroundings, relying on evasive maneuvers to survive. Their reputation as quick-moving creatures is due to powerful hind limbs, specialized for rapid acceleration and impressive aerial feats.
The Maximum Vertical Jump
When a cottontail rabbit is threatened, its maximum vertical leap can be surprisingly high. These bursts of power are generated by disproportionately large hind legs, containing muscles that account for up to 20% of their total body weight. This musculature allows them to clear obstacles far taller than the animal itself.
In a panic or flight scenario, a cottontail typically achieves a vertical height of three to four feet (36 to 48 inches). While three feet is often cited as the average maximum, heights closer to four feet are possible under extreme duress. The jump involves a rapid, powerful extension that propels the body upward, often to clear a fence, shrub, or barrier. These maximum vertical efforts are reserved exclusively as an emergency escape mechanism.
The Purpose of Erratic Leaping
The vertical jump is integrated into the cottontail’s primary anti-predator strategy, which hinges on unpredictability. When fleeing a chaser, the rabbit incorporates erratic, sudden changes in direction, often observed as a zigzag running pattern interspersed with high vertical leaps.
These sharp movements confuse and disorient a pursuing predator, such as a coyote or fox. The sudden vertical leap acts as a “deke,” momentarily breaking the predator’s line of sight and disrupting its pursuit momentum. The erratic path also helps break the rabbit’s scent trail, making it more difficult for the predator to track its location and direction.
Other Movement Capabilities
Beyond the maximum vertical jump, cottontails possess other mobility features that define their movement in the wild. While escape is characterized by high, erratic leaps, standard travel involves a lower, more energy-efficient bounding hop. During a full-speed horizontal sprint, a cottontail can reach speeds of up to 18 miles per hour (mph).
When bounding at speed, the rabbit covers ground quickly, with typical horizontal leaps spanning 10 to 15 feet in a single bound. Some observations suggest the Eastern Cottontail may reach burst speeds closer to 30 mph, though 18 mph is the more frequently cited sustained speed. This combination of horizontal speed and long-distance leaping allows the rabbit to rapidly cover open ground until it reaches dense cover.