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Home/Species/ Mountain Cottontail

Sylvilagus nuttallii

(Bachman, 1837)

Mountain Cottontail

G5Secure Found in 102 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103067
Element CodeAMAEB01060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderLagomorpha
FamilyLeporidae
GenusSylvilagus
COSEWICPS:SC,NAR
Other Common Names
Lapin de Nuttall (FR) mountain cottontail (EN) Nuttall's Cottontail (EN)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-05
Change Date1996-11-05
Range Extent Comments
Western North America, from eastern slopes of Cascade-Sierra Nevada Range east to western North Dakota and Black Hills, and from southern Canada south to Arizona and New Mexico. Recently appears to have been replaced by S. FLORIDANUS in much, if not all, of southwstern North Dakota (Chapman 1975)
Threat Impact Comments
Limited in Canada primarily by loss of habitat to human settlement, agriculture, and cattle grazing (Carter and Merkens, 1994 COSEWIC report).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Brushy, rocky areas; found in dense sagebrush, streamside thickets and brushy forest edges. Uses burrows and forms. May sometimes climb into junipers (Verts et al. 1984).

Ecology

Predators include bobcats, coyotes, great horned and long-eared owls. Gopher snake and western rattlesnake are important predators on juveniles in some areas (Diller and Johnson 1988). Population density ranged from 19 to 254 per 100 ha in Oregon (Verts et al. 1984); density in sagebrush 23-43 per 100 ha in southern British Columbia.

Reproduction

Breeds late winter spring and summer. Gestation period lasts 28-30 days (Chapman 1975). Females may produce 4-5 litters of 4-5 young per year (Jones et al. 1983).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferShrubland/chaparralDesert
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
AlbertaS5Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
British ColumbiaS3Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
South DakotaS4Yes
MontanaS5Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
ColoradoS5Yes
OregonS4Yes
ArizonaS3Yes
North DakotaSXYes
NevadaS5Yes
IdahoS4Yes
UtahS5Yes
New MexicoS4Yes
WyomingS5Yes
WashingtonS5Yes
Navajo NationS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases——High (continuing)
8.2 - Problematic native species/diseases——High (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (102)
Arizona (1)
AreaForestAcres
Coconino RimKaibab National Forest7,213
California (14)
AreaForestAcres
Birch CreekInyo National Forest28,816
Black CanyonInyo National Forest32,421
Callahan FlowModoc National Forest6,618
Devil's Gate (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest9,946
Glass MountainInyo National Forest52,867
Granite ChiefTahoe National Forest6,546
Hoover - NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,574
Horse Mdw.Inyo National Forest5,687
Iceberg - Mill CreekHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest26,988
Log Cabin SaddlebagInyo National Forest15,165
Mt. JacksonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest20,721
Mt. HoffmanModoc National Forest9,780
WattersonInyo National Forest6,922
Wonoga Pk.Inyo National Forest11,272
Colorado (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bristol HeadRio Grande NF46,087
Comanche Peak Adjacent AreaArapaho & Roosevelt NFs44,158
Dome PeakRoutt NF35,716
Long ParkRoutt NF42,100
Storm PeakSan Juan NF57,617
Idaho (6)
AreaForestAcres
Borah PeakSalmon-Challis National Forest130,463
HoodooNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest153,868
Italian PeakCaribou-Targhee National Forest141,158
Lemhi RangeSalmon-Challis National Forest308,533
Pioneer MountainsSalmon-Challis National Forest172,460
Pioneer MountainsSawtooth National Forest119,563
Montana (18)
AreaForestAcres
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLolo National Forest118,485
Bear - Marshall - Scapegoat - SwanLewis and Clark National Forest344,022
Big LogHelena National Forest8,954
Big Snowy Mountains WsaLewis and Clark National Forest88,003
Bmss Ra 1485Flathead National Forest334,275
BridgerGallatin National Forest45,059
Devils TowerHelena National Forest7,144
Gallatin FringeGallatin National Forest51,571
HoodooLolo National Forest105,162
Hyalite - Porcupine - Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study AreaGallatin National Forest143,991
Italian PeakBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest90,401
Lazyman GulchHelena National Forest11,614
MadisonGallatin National Forest127,859
Middle Mtn. / Tobacco RootsBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest96,487
North AbsarokaGallatin National Forest159,075
Selway - Bitterroot (01067)Bitterroot National Forest114,953
Silver KingBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest64,289
West Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest133,563
Nevada (11)
AreaForestAcres
Alta T - East AHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest114
Alta T - NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest9,325
Iron SpringHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest36,737
Rose - Alum CreekHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest853
Rose - EvansHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest4,782
Rose - GalenaHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest3,711
Rose - Whites CanyonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest2,568
Snake - MurphyHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest27,064
South SchellHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest125,614
Table Mtn. - EastHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest87,789
Toiyabe RangeHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest99,225
New Mexico (6)
AreaForestAcres
Bull CanyonCarson National Forest11,512
Columbine - Hondo Wilderness Study AreaCarson National Forest43,739
Nichols ReservoirSanta Fe National Forest1,518
RendijaSanta Fe National Forest2,176
San Pedro ParksSanta Fe National Forest5,824
Thompson PeakSanta Fe National Forest33,001
North Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Long X DivideDakota Prairie Grasslands10,099
Oregon (2)
AreaForestAcres
HellholeUmatilla National Forest65,679
HomesteadWallowa-Whitman National Forest5,817
Utah (32)
AreaForestAcres
0401001Ashley National Forest11,705
0401002Ashley National Forest36,113
0401005Ashley National Forest38,930
0401007Ashley National Forest16,483
0401024Ashley National Forest12,882
0401027Ashley National Forest7,312
0401031Ashley National Forest7,110
0419020Ashley National Forest355,684
418016Uinta National Forest35,240
418017Uinta National Forest19,631
418024Uinta National Forest51,699
418025Uinta National Forest32,698
418027Uinta National Forest13,884
418040Uinta National Forest1,702
Beehive PeakFishlake National Forest59,137
Boulder Mtn. / Boulder Top / Deer LakeDixie National Forest110,690
Burch CreekWasatch-Cache National Forest6,938
Dairy ForkManti-Lasal National Forest30,222
Lewis PeakWasatch-Cache National Forest11,616
Lone Peak ContiguousWasatch-Cache National Forest874
Mahogany RangeWasatch-Cache National Forest11,409
Mt. AireWasatch-Cache National Forest9,681
Mt. Logan NorthWasatch-Cache National Forest18,930
Mt. Logan SouthWasatch-Cache National Forest17,014
Mt. Logan WestWasatch-Cache National Forest5,285
Mt. OlympusWasatch-Cache National Forest9,982
Muddy Creek - Nelson Mt.Manti-Lasal National Forest59,034
PavantFishlake National Forest42,560
Table Cliffs - Henderson CanyonDixie National Forest19,581
Twin PeaksWasatch-Cache National Forest6,157
Wayne WonderlandFishlake National Forest12,395
White PineWasatch-Cache National Forest1,942
Wyoming (6)
AreaForestAcres
0401036Ashley National Forest6,309
Middle ForkShoshone National Forest51,772
Middle ForkMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest13,238
Sheep MountainMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest17,626
West Slope WindsBridger-Teton National Forest143,252
Wilderness Study AreaTarghee National Forest51,961
References (15)
  1. Althoff, D. P., and G. L. Storm. 1989. Daytime spatial characteristics of cottontial rabbits in central Pennsylvania. Journal of Mammalogy 70:820-824.
  2. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2025. Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.13) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10595931. Online. Available: https://www.mammaldiversity.org/
  3. Bradley, R.D., L.K. Ammerman, R.J. Baker, L.C. Bradley, J.A. Cook. R.C. Dowler, C. Jones, D.J. Schmidly, F.B. Stangl Jr., R.A. Van den Bussche and B. Würsig. 2014. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2014. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 327:1-28. Available at: http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP327.pdf
  4. Chapman, J. A. 1971. Orientation and homing of the brush rabbit (<i>Sylvilagus bachmani</i>). Journal of Mammalogy 52:686-699.
  5. Chapman, J. A. 1975. <i>Sylvilagus nuttallii</i>. Mammalian Species, 56:1-3.
  6. Connell, J. H. 1954. Home range and mobility of brush rabbits in California chaparral. Journal of Mammalogy 35:392-405.
  7. Diller, L. V., and D. R. Johnson. 1988. Food habits, consumption rates, and predation rates of western rattlesnakes and gopher snakes in southwestern Idaho. Herpetologica 44:228-233.
  8. Fitch, H. S. 1947. Ecology of a cottontail rabbit (<i>Sylvilagus audobonii</i>) population in central California. California Fish and Game 33:159-184.
  9. Hill, E. P. 1967. Homing by a cottontail rabbit. Journal of Mammalogy 48:648.
  10. Jones, J. K., Jr., D. M. Armstrong, R. S. Hoffmann, and C. Jones. 1983. Mammals of the Northern Great Plains. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska.
  11. Nowak, R. M. 1991. Walker's mammals of the world. Fifth edition. Vols. I and II. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore. 1629 pp.
  12. Shields, P. W. 1960. Movement patterns of brush rabbits in northwestern California. Journal of Wildlife Management 24:381-386.
  13. Trent, T.T. and O.S. Rongstad. 1974. Home range and survival of cottontail rabbits in southwestern Wisconsin. Journal of Wildlife Management 38:459-472.
  14. Verts, B. J., S. D. Gehman, and K. J. Hundertmark. 1984. Sylvilagus nuttallii: a semiarboreal lagomorph. J. Mamm. 65:131-135.
  15. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.