How to identify it
Medium to large cottontail, 35-39 cm, 0.7-1.2 kg, with long hind legs. [1]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Desert cottontail · Sylvilagus audubonii
- Eastern cottontail · Sylvilagus floridanus
Field notes
- Identification Do not identify Mountain cottontail from colour alone. Compare structure, size, range and the listed similar species before making a field decision.[1]
Where it lives
Brushy or wooded slopes and riverbanks with grasses, willows and especially sagebrush; on sparse rocky slopes it hides in burrows or rock crevices. [1]
How it behaves
Solitary and crepuscular, feeding in or near sheltering brush; active year-round. [1]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Alberta — hunting · 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
- Saskatchewan — hunting · 2026-27 Trappers Guide
- Arizona — hunting · 2026-2027 Arizona Hunting Regulations
- California — hunting · 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations (updated July 1, 2026)
- Colorado — hunting · 2 CCR 406-3 Chapter W-3 Furbearers and Small Game, Except Migratory Birds (07/16/2026; eff. 2026-09-01)
- Idaho — hunting · Upland Game, Turkey & Furbearer 2026 & 2027 Seasons & Rules
- Montana — hunting · Recreational Shooting of Nongame Species (FWP web page)
- Nevada — hunting · CR 26-13 2026-27 & 2027-28 Seasons, Bag Limits ... Upland Game Birds, Rabbits, Wild Turkey, Furbearers
- New Mexico — hunting · NMDOW Nongame
- Oregon — hunting, nuisance or unprotected take · 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations (official ODFW booklet, eRegulations host linked from myodfw.com)
- South Dakota — hunting · 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook
- Utah — hunting · 2026-27 Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook
- Washington — hunting · 2026 Washington Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Regulations (Jul 1 2026 - Jun 30 2027)
- Wyoming — hunting · WGFC Ch. 11 Upland Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Seasons (dated Apr 22 2026)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Mostly the western United States from the Sierra Nevada east to Montana's eastern border and south to central New Mexico and Arizona, reaching into a small area of southern Canada north of Montana and Washington.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology