The eastern cottontail rabbit lives in a variety of habitats including meadows, orchards, open fields, and wooded areas. It prefers areas with tall grass, bushes or trees where it can hide. The cottontail is an herbivore whose diet changes seasonally, eating grasses, vegetables or bark and twigs. It is prey to many animals and is mainly nocturnal. Factors affecting its birth rate include breeding season, litter size, and weaning age, while factors impacting death rate include predators, parasites, and overpopulation.