Desert Cottontail

This morning, while walking to work, I spotted two desert cottontails, Sylvilagus audubonii, in the middle of town. The bunnies seem to be enjoying the unseasonable lack of snow.  Not having to dig through snow drifts must make finding grassy tidbits a whole lot easier.

These rabbits seemed to be finding enough to eat in the grassy margins of the stadium parking lot.  I bet they are happy that college football season is over and the stadium is nice and quiet.

The second cottontail seemed to be doing her best to blend into the ground, matching the winter grass almost perfectly.  She looked so scared that I felt sorry for her and left her alone as soon as I snapped this photo.

I am always impressed by the hardy creatures that manage to thrive in Wyoming's harsh winters.  And, while I am ready for some more snow to make the town prettier (and allow for some good ski days), I don't begrudge the animals a welcome warm spell.