preyed on by coyotes more heavily in early spring and in fall than in summer or winter. In southwestern North Dakota, cottontails (both eastern and desert cottontail Sylvilagus auduboni) were major prey items in the diets of bobcats. Juvenile eastern cottontails are rare in the diet of short-eared owls (Asio flammeus). Trace amounts of eastern cottontail remains have been detected in black bear (Ursus americanus) scat. Classification Recognized subspecies of Sylvilagus floridanus North of Mexico Sylvilagus floridanus alacer Sylvilagus floridanus chapmani Sylvilagus floridanus floridanus Sylvilagus floridanus mallurus Mexico and Central America Sylvilagus floridanus aztecus Sylvilagus floridanus connectens Sylvilagus floridanus hondurensis Sylvilagus floridanus macrocorpus Sylvilagus floridanus orizabae Sylvilagus floridanus yucatanicus South of Isthmus of Panama Sylvilagus floridanus avius Sylvilagus floridanus cumanicus Sylvilagus floridanus margaritae Sylvilagus floridanus nigronuchalis Sylvilagus floridanus orinoci Sylvilagus floridanus purgatus Sylvilagus floridanus superciliaris References External links Cotton Tail Rabbit, World Wide Outreach Program of The Rouge Foundation Eastern Cottontail, Fletcher Wildlife Garden Sylvilagus Mammals of Central America Mammals of Colombia Mammals of Mexico Mammals of Canada Mammals of the United States Mammals of Venezuela Mammals of the Caribbean Mammals described in 1890