Description: A small (head and body: 30 - 36 cm [12 - 14 in.]) brownish
rabbit with a reddish nape and a short, white tail (i.e., a typical cottontail
bunny). For a rabbit, the ears are relatively short (6 cm [2.4 in.]). The
short, white tail and ears distinguish cottontails from jackrabbits. Nuttall’s
cottontail occurs at higher elevations, which separates this species
from the lower-elevation, longer-eared (8 - 10 cm [3 - 4 in.]) desert
cottontail. Primarily active during crepuscular and night hours, cottontails
are often seen along roadways. Litters of 4 - 6 blind and naked offspring
born from April to July.
Diet: Grasses, mesquite, cactus, twigs, and bark.
Habitat: Mountains, at higher elevations; sagebrush, forest, and brushy
areas up to timberline.
Range: Southernmost Canada and western U.S. except southwestern
deserts. In Nevada, this species occurs in northern and central areas, but
an isolated population occurs in the Spring Mountains.
Comments: Nuttall’s cottontail is also called the mountain cottontail.