Desert Cottontail

Sylvilagus audubonii
Also known as the Audubon's Cottontail, the Desert Cottontail is a rabbit that lives in the dry, desert-like habitats of western North American (though they can also be found in some pine forests as well!)

Desert Cottontails typically live in small groups, foraging together for grasses, vegetables, and even cacti. They drink very little water, if any, as they can get all they need from the plants that they eat.

Interestingly, the Desert Cottontail is one of those unusual mammals where the females are larger than the males... if only just barely. Like most rabbits, these guys breed several times a year, though have fewer litters, and fewer offspring per litter, than many of their cousins. A female will normally breed 5 times a year, each time having a gestation period of about 4 weeks. 3 young are usually born at once, and they grow quickly, leaving the nest at 2 weeks and being fully independent at 5 (leaving mom to breed again!)

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Western North America
Size : Length up to 17in (43cm), Weight up to 3.3lbs (1.5kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Lagomorpha
Family : Leporidae -- Genus : Sylvilagus -- Species : S. audubonii
Image :  Howcheng

Related Posts:

  • Julia ButterflyThe Julia Butterfly is an insect with a very large range that spreads from the southern United States all the way down to Brazil. They are residents in most of their range, though in the U.S. they sometimes move north to Midw… Read More
  • Glaucous MacawAnodorhynchus glaucusToday's animal is one of those creatures that is probably extinct... but we don't 100% know for sure. It is the Glaucous Macaw, a tropical Parrot related to both the Hyacinth and Lear's Macaws. It hasn't … Read More
  • Bawean DeerHyelaphus kuhliiToday's animal is the Bawean Deer, which is also sometimes referred to as the Bawean Hog Deer or Kuhl's Deer. These ungulates are found on only one small Indoneasian island, Bawean, and are at a very high cons… Read More
  • Yellow-backed DuikerCephalophus silvicultorToday we'll learn about the largest, and the most widespread of the Duiker species-- the Yellow-backed Duiker. Identifiable from the patch of yellow fur on their otherwise brown backs, these Antelope ca… Read More
  • Barosaurus80 different Dinosaurs were discovered by Othniel Charles Marsh during the "Bone Wars" and Barosaurus was one of them.This relative to the more famous Diplodocus lived during the Upper Jurassic, between 155 and 145 millions y… Read More