Appalachian Cottontail

About the Appalachian Cottontail

The Appalachian cottontail (Sylvilagus obscurus) is a species of cottontail rabbit in the family Leporidae. It is a rare species found in the upland areas of the eastern United States. The Appalachian cottontail was only recognized as separate from the New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) in 1992. It was distinguished based on its unique skull structure and karyotype in a study by Joseph A. Chapman and colleagues, who gave the species the type locality of "Dolly Sods Scenic Area, Grant County, West Virginia". Compared to the New England cottontail, the Appalachian cottontail has six fewer chromosomes. It has no subspecies.

The Appalachian cottontail is a small light-yellow brown rabbit. It has brown and black mixed fur on its back and a brown and red patch along its neck. It is mostly white underneath. S. obscurus is often visually quite similar to the eastern cottontail; a distinguishing factor is a black spot between the ears and a lack of a white spot on the forehead. The Appalachian cottontail has an adult combined head and body length of 15 to 17 inches (39 to 43 cm) and a tail length of 0.9 to 2.6 inches (2.2 to 6.5 cm). Its ears... Wikipedia →