Hares and Rabbits: Leporidae
Desert Cottontail (sylvilagus Audubonii): Species Accounts
Physical characteristics: A larger cottontail with large ears. Head and body length of 14 to 15 inches (37 to 40 centimeters) and its weight is 26.5 to 44 ounces (750 to 1,250 grams).
Geographic range: Desert cottontails are found in North America, from Montana south to central Mexico and west through California.
Habitat: Desert and forest, from coastal areas to higher altitudes.
Diet: Desert cottontails are herbivores, eating mainly grasses but some wood and bark.
Behavior and reproduction: The breeding season for the desert cottontail is from January to August, with multiple litters per year, and
Desert cottontails live in desert and forest areas.
Desert cottontails and people: Hunted by humans mainly for sport.
Conservation status: The desert cottontail is not listed as threatened by the IUCN. ∎
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Books:
Morris, Ting. Rabbit (Animal Families). Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2004.
National Research Council. "Rabbits." In Microlive-stock: Little-Known Small Animals with a Promising Economic Future. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 1991. Online at http://books.nap.edu/books/030904295X/html/179.html (accessed on July 12, 2004).
National Research Council. "Domestic Rabbit." In Microlivestock: Little-Known Small Animals with a Promising Economic Future.Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 1991. Onlin at http://books.nap.edu/books/030904295X/html/183.html (accessed on July 12, 2004).
Nowak, Ronald M. Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999.
Swanson, Diane. Welcome to the World of Rabbits and Hares. Portland, OR: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co., 2000.
Swanson, Diane. Rabbits and Hares (Welcome to the World of Animals). Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens, 2002.
Periodicals:
Angerbjörn, Anders, and John E. C. Flux. "Lepus timidus." Mammalian Species (June 23, 1995): 1–11.
Chapman, Joseph A., and Gale R. Willner. "Sylvilagus audubonii." Mammalian Species (September 21, 1978): 1–4.
Chapman, Joseph A., et al. "Sylvilagus floridanus." Mammalian Species (April 15, 1980): 1–8.
Hacklander, Klaus, et al. "The Effect of Dietary Fat Content on Lactation Energetics in the European Hare (Lepus europaeus)." Physiological and Biochemical Zoology (January 2002): 19–28.
Krebs, Charles J., et al. "What Drives the 10-Year Cycle of Snowshoe Hares?" BioScience (January 2001): 25.
Roach, John. "Rabbit Woes: Easter Icons Face Survival Struggles." National Geographic News (April 17, 2003). Online at http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0417_030417_rabbits.html (accessed on July 12, 2004).
Web sites:
House Rabbit Society. http://www.rabbit.org (accessed on July 12, 2004).
Myers, Phil, and Anna Bess Sorin. "Family Leporidae." Animal Diversity Web. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Leporidae.html (accessed on July 12, 2004).
Additional topics
- Hares and Rabbits: Leporidae - Mountain Hare (lepus Timidus): Species Accounts
- Other Free Encyclopedias
Animal Life ResourceMammalsHares and Rabbits: Leporidae - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Hares And Rabbits And People, Conservation Status, Snowshoe Hare (lepus Americanus): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET