Mountain Cottontail
Sylvilagus nuttallii
S. nuttallii is a medium-sized cottontail with grayish-brown fur, a white underside, and a rusty-brown nape patch. They have relatively long ears and a fluffy white tail.…
How to identify
S. nuttallii is a medium-sized cottontail with grayish-brown fur, a white underside, and a rusty-brown nape patch. They have relatively long ears and a fluffy white tail. They are adapted to arid and semi-arid environments.
Range
S. nuttallii is found in the western United States and southwestern Canada, primarily in the Great Basin and surrounding areas. Its range extends from southern British Columbia and Alberta south through eastern Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and into parts of California, Montana, and Wyoming.
Habitat
S. nuttallii inhabits a variety of habitats, including sagebrush steppe, grasslands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and riparian areas. They prefer areas with dense shrub cover for protection from predators.
Similar species
In some areas, S. audubonii (Desert Cottontail) can overlap in range. S. nuttallii tends to have slightly longer ears and a less distinctly grizzled appearance than S. audubonii. Habitat preferences can also be helpful, with S. nuttallii often found in areas with more shrub cover.
Name and etymology
Genus
Sylvilagus
Latin for forest (silva) and Greek for hare (lagos_
Origin
Sources
- Palmer, Index Generum Mammalium (1904) ↗
Palmer, T. S. 1904. Index Generum Mammalium: a list of the genera and families of mammals. North American Fauna 23. Government Printing Office, Washington. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.39809
Species epithet
nuttallii
Honoring English botanist and zoologist Thomas Nuttall
Origin
Honors
Sources
- Wikipedia: Sylvilagus nuttallii ↗
“Sylvilagus nuttallii.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_cottontail
Explore more names in the etymology index.
At a glance
Range
S. nuttallii is found in the western United States and southwestern Canada, primarily in the Great Basin and surrounding area…
Habitat
S. nuttallii inhabits a variety of habitats, including sagebrush steppe, grasslands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and riparian a…
Guide
Mammals of North America
Range map
Approximate range. © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap