MARSH RABBIT 



Marsh Rabbit; Carolina Marsh Rabbit. — Sylvilagus palustris 

 pahistris (Bachman). Plate XXXVI. 

 About equal in size to Sylvilagus floridanus; feet small and 

 slender; tail very short ; ears broad and short. Total length, 

 17.5 inches; tail vertebrae, 1.3 inches; hind foot, 3.6 inches; 

 ear from notch, 2.1 inches. Upperparts rich dark reddish 



a U L F QT MS X 2 C O 



Fig. 109. Distribution of the species and subspecies of the 

 Sylvilagus palustris group, after Nelson 



1. Sylvilagus aquatius aquaticus 



2. Sylvilagus palustris palustris 



3. Sylvilagus palustris paludicola 



4. Sylvilagus aquaticus littoralis 



brown; rump to back of hind legs dark rusty reddish; nape 

 dark rufous ; ears grayish buffy brown ; tail above like rump, 

 below, dingy gray (never white) ; underparts white, bordered 

 along flanks and sides with ochraceous buff ; throat ochrace- 

 ous buff. Found in "Lowlands along rivers and coast of 

 southeastern States from Dismal Swamp, Virginia, south to 

 extreme northern Florida, and west through most of 

 southern Georgia and the Gulf coast of northwestern 

 Florida to east side of Mobile Bay, Alabama. Vertical 

 range from sea level to an undetermined altitude (probably 

 less than 500 feet); zonal range Lower Austral." (Nelson) 

 Florida Marsh Rabbit. — Sylvilagus palustris paludicola (Miller 

 and Bangs). 

 Smallest of the Marsh Rabbits as well as the darkest and 

 reddest, with very short, broad ears. Total length, 17 

 inches; tail vertebras, 1.6 inches; hind foot, 3.5 inches; ear 



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