Desert Cottontail (Buzom): Habitat, Diet, and Behavior

The desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii), colloquially called "buzom," is a small lagomorph native to arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Key Traits

• Long ears (for thermoregulation), short white tail ("cotton"), pale brown fur.
• Solitary, crepuscular/nocturnal activity patterns.
• Lives in burrows or forms (shallow depressions).

Diet

• Herbivorous: grasses, forbs, cacti (pads and fruit).
• Occasionally insects or carrion (opportunistic).

Water

Obtains most moisture from food; concentrates urine to conserve water. Often seen near water sources but not dependent on them.