Appalachian Cottontail (Sylvilagus obscurus)

Common Name: Appalachian Cottontail

Scientific Name: Sylvilagus obscurus

Habitat: Found in higher elevations, appears to prefer more wooded habitat with denser cover than the eastern cottontail.

Diet: Herbivorous —thought to prefer green vegetation in summer, twigs and bark in winter.

Interesting Facts:
This species was recently recognized as separate from the New England cottontail.

Further Reading:
Chapman, J. A., K. L. Cramer, N. J. Dippenaar, and T. J. Robinson. 1992. “Systematics and biogeography of the New England cottontail, Sylvilagus transitionalis (Bangs, 1895), with a description of a new species from the Appalachian Mountains.”