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Urban Almanac: The Sparsity of Swamp Rabbits

Posted on February 21, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025

City Cast Houston Staff

Swamp Rabbits enjoy Houston's wet climate. (Katy Anderson/Houston Parks Board)

Swamp Rabbits enjoy Houston's wet climate. (Katy Anderson/Houston Parks Board)

You probably won’t see a Swamp Rabbit out during the day because these animals love foraging for food at night. These native Houstonian rabbits look a lot like the eastern cottontail, a common species of rabbit found across the country. Swamp Rabbits enjoy living in wetter climates, and sometimes even swim to get away from predators. They’re also vegetarians and love devouring succulent species of plants that grow in wet places, according to Houston Parks Board Conservation Technician Ethan Placke.  


“These rabbits really like their space, so you may only have one of these guys per seven acres! That’s a lot of land to try and find one rabbit in. They don’t burrow much either, instead preferring brush to hide themselves away, including thorny green briars. There is some evidence to suggest that this species is on the decline. Their habits and sparse distribution don’t make that an easy thing to know for certain, sadly,” writes Placke.

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