Western Brush Rabbit
Sylvilagus bachmani

Physical Description

A cottontail rabbit, smaller than most other species of cottontails.
Back and side fur is light brown to gray in coloration, underside usually white.
Tail is white on top, underside is gray; smaller tail than desert cottontail’s.
Short, wide, dark ears, used for species identification.

Range

From Columbia River in Oregon to southern tip of Baja California, Mexico.
From the coast to the eastern parts of the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade mountain ranges.

Habitat

Reproduction

In California, breeding season is from December until June.
They do not form pair bonds.
Soon after giving birth, many females breed again, often having 3-4 litters a year.
Pregnancy lasts 27 days, and litters are usually 2-4 young.
The young bunnies are born blind, and open their eyes on the 10th day. They are dependent on their mother, who comes to the nest to feed them at night.
The young are weaned and leave the nest on the 14th day.
Young bunnies are mature at 4-5 months and can mate the next breeding season.

Diet

Grasses, leaves, forbs, blackberries, wild rose.
Their favorite food is green clover.
They eat their cecotropes (nutrient-rich droppings) to get proteins, minerals, and vitamins essential for their heath.

Predators

Interesting Facts

Their top speed is 25 miles per hour! They often run in zig zags at top speed to escape predators.
They almost never come out of hiding before sunset, though they are sometimes seen basking in the sun on a warm afternoon.
They are solitary animals, living in their own home ranges. They do not dig their own burrows, but use the burrows of other animals.

Sources: Animalia; Ojai Valley and Conservancy; Monterey Mammals

Photo: Marlin Harms