Dietary Adaptability of the Desert Cottontail

Seasonal diets of Arizona desert cottontails (Sylvilagus audubonii) were determined by stom- ach analysis. Relative habitat abundance of plant species was estimated and seasonal preference indices were determined. Diet composition and food preferences changed through the sampling periods in re- lation to environmental factors. Desert cottontails are highly adaptable to changing moisture regimes and apparently can survive drought periods on a diet consisting mainly of dry grasses and forbs, using cactus and forbs with high moisture contents as a source of water. Grasses contributed 37.9 percent of the total dietary bulk, forbs 41.3 percent, and shrubs 20.8 percent. Forty-three plant species or genera were identified in the stomach contents during the 16-month study period.