Audubon's Cottontail
Desert Cottontail
Sylvilagus audubonii
Photo taken at
Piestewa Peak, Phoenix, Arizona, USA on Dec 28, 2002
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That cottontail rabbits thrive in the Sonoran Desert in addition to more mesic habitats is testament to their adaptability. Creosote Bush is the most abundant food source in the southwestern deserts if it weren't for the abundance of noxious chemicals in the leaves. The Desert Cottontail deals with this toxic brew by consuming limited quantities at one time and then only the least defended twig sections it can find. What is the method the cottontail uses to discriminate toxic from safe portions? Evidence of this selective herbivory can be found during drought periods as sprigs of dry, brown creosote leaves deposited around the periphery of shrubs after the edible twig portions have been eaten.
This Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata) was observed in Phoenix Mountain Preserve, Arizona and is hosted at Wikimedia where there are additional images of Cottontail Rabbits. The largest sprigs of dead, brown creosote leaves are at front center and off to the right. They are the leftovers after the rabbits have eaten sections of stem with lower concentrations of toxic phytochemicals.
More Information/References:
- The Mammals of Texas - Online Edition
- Animal Diversity Web
- ITIS Taxonomic Report
- Google Images
- Google Scholar Literature Search
- Reference: Mammals of Arizona (1986), D. F. Hoffmeister, Univ. of Arizona Press.