Desert Cottontail

Description:

The desert cottontail is 12–15 inches long, weighs 1–3 pounds, with ears 3–4 inches in length. The fur is a pale gray color with a yellowish tinge. It is a common rabbit in Utah and can be found below 6,000 feet on open plains, foothills, low valleys, around sagebrush, pinions and junipers. From late afternoon throughout the night is when the desert cottontail is most active. It mainly eats grasses and sagebrush.

Habitat:

The Lee Creek area is located on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake, approximately 12 miles west of Salt Lake City. Audubon manages the 305 acre Lee Creek Area as part of a larger complex called the South Shore Preserve. This roughly 300 acre area is managed by Audubon and is now a nature study preserve. Formerly the area was severely impacted. It is the only public access to the Great Salt Lake from Salt Lake County. It was first opened to the public in 2006 after some four tons of trash were removed and fencing installed. The native vegetation has returned and while there are some exotics, the overall percentage of native plant cover is remarkably high.