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Desert cottontail - SYLVILAGUS AUDUBONII

Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
Subclass: True Mammals (Eutheria)
Order: Hare Shape (Lagomorpha)
Family: Leporidae.

Location: Western North America, from the Canadian border to Central Mexico.

Habitat: Terrestrial. Arid woodlands, prairies, and deserts.

Description: The hind legs of this rabbit are quite long, with slender feet. The pointed ears are about three inches long, and sparsely furred in the inner part. The whiskers are usually black, and the tail is broad, black above and white beneath, fluffy like cotton. An adult cottontail grows over a foot long, with another two inches added for its tail. It weighs two to two and one half pounds.

Behavior: This rabbit feeds on grass and roots, and is most active early in the morning and at dusk, but its activities become limited if it is raining or windy. It swims well if necessary, paddling with its legs like a dog. It can also climb trees. If danger threatens, it can hold itself motionless, but if that fails, it scampers off into the nearest bush. The position in which the tail is held can serve as a warning signal for fellow cottontails. If the tail is raised showing the white underside, danger is indicated.

Reproduction: Gestation lasts for about a month days, after which the female delivers between four and seven young in its burrow, which is lined with grass and fur. The female has four pairs of nipples: one pair in the pectoral region, two pairs in the abdominal region and one pair in the groin area.