The Eastern Cottontail Rabbit was first introduced to Massachusetts before 1900 and is now by far the most common rabbit in the state. These native rabbits have a darker back and usually a black spot between the ears. Their ears are shorter than those on the Eastern Cottontail and are rimmed with a black border. They can grow to be 15–17 inches long and weigh up to 2 pounds. Cottontails are solitary creatures that are most active between dusk and dawn. Generally silent, rabbits may communicate by soft grunts and purrs and by thumping the ground with their hind feet. When caught by a predator, they can produce a bloodcurdling scream.

They are also known as the brush rabbit or woods rabbit, preferring shrubby areas, thickets, and wetlands with some tree cover. Areas with older shrubland with good understory are often favorable. However, ideal habitat should contain native shrubs as too many invasive shrubs, such as Japanese barberry, can have a negative impact. The New England cottontail began to decline during the 20th century due to a loss of its early successional forest habitat, often called thickets, compounded by competition from deer and eastern cottontail.