sylvilagus audubonii
Tuesday, May 8, 2012 — 2:42 pm
Bent’s Fort National Historic Site, Colorado
As I toured the fort, I wandered out into this courtyard. Behind the wagon in the shed on the left there is a wood pile.
A small cottontail was sitting along the wall near the pile. It let me get close enough to take this photo, then it hopped into a gap behind the pile and disappeared.
I decided it was a Desert Cottontail because:
- Desert Cottontail is the only cottontail found in that part of Colorado.
- Desert Cottontail is the only cottontail listed on the Bent’s Old Fort mammal list.
- It has black whiskers.
I wanted to confirm my identification, so I asked the ranger if he knew what it was. He said, “If I catch it, I’ll call it dinner.”