Camoflauged cottontails

So, when running about the wild, you often have to look twice to see many critters.  That is the case for trying to see a cottontail that isn't obviously running across the road.  The mix of grays and tans and blacks in their fur help them blend into the brush.

Can you see the cottontail rabbit?

How about now?

There it is!

I couldn't tell if it was a desert cottontail or not, but I think it was a juvenile desert cottontail based on:
Size- it was rather small for an adult cottontail as I've seen them, so I assume young.
Ear length - ears were longer than I'd expect for his size, or for the Eastern cottontails I've seen, suggesting a Desert cottontail, which naturally have larger ears kept erect
Location - The Eastern, Desert and the Mountain cottontail are all roughly the same size, though the Eastern and Desert cottontail prefer brushy desert climes like the one here.

Although it was early afternoon when I saw this little fella' scampering in the brush, cottontails are mostly active in early mornings and late afternoons.  They avoid the high noon-day heat by hanging out in the shade of shrubs until it cools off.  The ears, with their thin skin with blood vessels near the surface, help keep the rabbit cool, as does the light colored fur that reflects sunlight.  Interestingly, you don't see cottontails when it is really windy out, because the wind interferes with their hearing, so they stay close to home, since they can't 'hear' oncoming danger as well.  I guess when scared, a rabbit may jump straight up 2' in the air (and scare the bejeezus out of you in the process), take off at close to 20mph, or may even climb a tree to escape.

Desert Cottontail (I think)

I did a little reading at home, and found that desert cottontails often move into already made burrows, usually made by badgers or rodents, instead of digging their own home.  If this makes them lazy or just smarter, I don't know.  A cottontail rarely leaves the area it was born, so the rabbit I saw is probably from a long line of Gilbert-dwelling rabbits.   Also, the fact that an estimated 80% of rabbits don't survive their first year (being prey for a large number of animals) makes me wish this little guy the best.  Looking around the preserve at the number of rabbits running around, I'd say this rabbit has numbers on its side.  One rabbit can breed at about 3 months old, and can quickly breed again after having a litter, which can be of up to 10 babies.  Considering they mate from January to late summer, and are capable of up to 4 litters or more a year, the term 'breeding like rabbits' makes sense.

The question of why a cottontail has a white tail comes up regularly.  As you can see in the first photo, the white tail is the only give away there is a rabbit there.  So far, suggested reasons based on observation account for the showy white tail (called a 'scut') as acting as a caution flag to other rabbits in the area, so if a rabbit takes off, flashing its white tail, other rabbits are alerted to danger.  While not social with other cottontails, a cottontail rabbit will easily co-exist in an area with others of its kind (not true of the jack-rabbits, who developed 'boxing'.)   Also, it has been seen that, while running 20 mph in a zig zag formation flouting its tail, a rabbit may suddenly stop and sit on its white tuft, thus confusing the predator who was chasing the white.  However, there is no 'single' reason yet determined.  Watch a cottontail rabbit near you and look for any behavior that gives you ideas why the tail is white.