Nuttall’s Cottontail - Sierra Club BC
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Nuttall’s Cottontail

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Nuttall's Cottontail

Sylvilagus nuttallii 

Appearance

Nuttall’s cottontail is the smallest rabbit-eared animal in the province. Their coats are grayish brown above and white below. They have black-tipped ears. 

Range & Habitat

They are found from British Columbia to southern California, and east through Saskatchewan, Montana, and New Mexico. Cottontails live in rocky wooded or brushy areas.

Reciprocal relationships

Cottontails are herbivores and eat mostly grass and other green plants. They are nocturnal—most active at dawn and dusk. When they are threatened, they thump their hind feet on the ground as an alarm signal. Nuttall's cottontails reproduce very quickly and, because of this, are an important food source for many animals. Predators include bobcats, coyotes, owls, foxes, weasels, and hawks.  

Breeding occurs throughout the summer months. Females build elaborate nests of leaves and twigs and then line them with their own fur. Cottontails can have up to nine offspring, and they are independent from the mother after only one month. Despite their prolific reproduction, these cottontails are threatened by the loss of their native grassland habitat. They need this habitat to survive, but it is often converted for agriculture or urban land use.  

status

COSEWIC: Special Concern 
CDC: Blue 

more information

If you belong to a First Nation with a story or piece of information not represented here and you would like to share more about this species, please email us at education@sierraclub.bc.ca.   

photo credit

Canva

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