Desert Cottontail
Sylvilagus audubonii
Unlike many other rabbit species, the Desert Cottontail is known to occasionally climb leaning tree trunks to forage for food or escape ground predators.
- Scientific name
- Sylvilagus audubonii
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Lagomorpha › Leporidae › Sylvilagus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- desert
- Habitat
- Arid scrublands, desert plains, and pinyon-juniper woodlands with adequate cover.
- Diet
- Herbivorous; primarily grasses, mesquite beans, sagebrush, and prickly pear cacti for hydration.
- Range
- Western United States, Northern Mexico, Baja California
- Size
- 33 to 43 cm in length; weighing 0.7 to 1.5 kg
- Lifespan
- 1-3 years in the wild
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, predation by feral pets, and Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV2).
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and naturally shy. Maintain a distance of 10-15 feet to avoid causing stress. Do not attempt to handle wild rabbits, as they may carry fleas, ticks, or diseases such as tularemia. If scratched or bitten, wash the area with soap and water and consult a physician.
The desert cottontail ( Sylvilagus audubonii ), also known as Audubon's cottontail , is a New World cottontail rabbit, and a member of the family Leporidae. Unlike the European rabbit, they do not form social burrow systems, but compared with some other leporids, they are extremely tolerant of other individuals in their vicinity.
Photo: Justin Johnsen, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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