Mexican cottontail

Scientific name: Sylvilagus cunicularius

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

This small cottontail has a rusty-brown to gray uppercoat with white underparts and a small white tail. Body is compact and stocky; ears are relatively short compared to other Sylvilagus species.

Size and weight

Adults weigh 300–600 g; body length 30–37 cm. Females are typically slightly larger than males.

Habitat

Mexican cottontails inhabit semi-arid scrubland, brushy foothills, and canyon bottoms with dense shrub cover and grasses. They prefer elevations between 600–2,400 m in areas with adequate vegetation for cover and forage.

Distribution

Range spans central Mexico through the interior plateaus and Sierra Madre highlands. Found in arid and semi-arid regions with sufficient brush and grass cover.

Diet

Feeds on grasses, forbs, clover, and browse; shifts to dried vegetation and woody plants during dry seasons.

Behaviour

Primarily crepuscular and nocturnal, most active at dawn and dusk. Solitary or in loose pairs; relies on quick bursts of speed and thick brush for escape rather than long-distance flight.

Hunting tips

Look for small round droppings clustered near brush cover and listen for alarm thumps in dense scrub. Approach slowly into wind through mixed brush and grass; glass open patches at first light and dusk when cottontails feed. Use short stalks across open ground to push animals from cover toward waiting positions.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.

Mexico

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.