NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Marsh Rabbit
Sylvilagus palustris (Bachman, 1837)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris) is a small cottontail rabbit found in marshes and swamps of coastal regions of the Eastern and Southern United States, from Virginia to the lower Florida Keys. Being a small brown rabbit, it is similar in appearance to the widespread eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), but is characterized by its smaller ears, legs, and tail, as well as its grayish-brown underparts. Marsh rabbits are common throughout their range, except for in the Everglades, where the invasive Burmese python has reduced their numbers, and the lower Florida Keys, where the subspecies known as the Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri) is threatened by rising sea levels and human development of the land. They prefer to live in marshes, swamps, and alongside coastal waters and rivers, as they are excellent swimmers.
Wikipedia contributors, Marsh rabbit; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:20:06.871911+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Sylvilagus palustris (Bachman, 1837)
- Name authority
- (Bachman, 1837)
- Common name
- Marsh Rabbit
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Lagomorpha
- Family
- Leporidae
- Genus
- Sylvilagus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderLagomorpha Brandt, 1855
- familyLeporidae Fischer, 1817
- genusSylvilagus Gray, 1867
- speciesSylvilagus palustris (Bachman, 1837)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Sylvilagus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Andean CottontailSylvilagus andinus (Thomas, 1897) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Apollinaris' CottontailSylvilagus apollinaris Thomas, 1920 | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cane CutterSylvilagus aquaticus (Bachman, 1837) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Audubon's CottontailSylvilagus audubonii (Baird, 1858) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mexican CottontailSylvilagus cunicularius (Waterhouse, 1848) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Central American Lowland Forest CottontailSylvilagus gabbi (J. A. Allen, 1877) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Tres Marias CottontailSylvilagus graysoni (J. A. Allen, 1877) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Omilteme CottontailSylvilagus insonus (Nelson, 1904) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| San José Brush RabbitSylvilagus mansuetus Nelson, 1907 | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Dwarf TapetíSylvilagus tapetillus Thomas, 1913 | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| ConeySylvilagus transitionalis (Bangs, 1895) | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Barinas Wild RabbitSylvilagus varynaensis Durant & Guevara, 2001 | LeporidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=180120 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:53N9C. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.