Il5 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



The southern varying hare inhabits the Canadian zone and cool, 

 damp situations in the transition zone of the eastern United States and 

 southeastern Canada. At the southern extremity of its range the animal 

 does not assume the white coat m winter. 



Lepus floridanus Allen Cottontail 



Size small; fur always dark; feet atout, well furreiJ; tail conspicuously snoivy 

 white leneatli. (floridanus; N. Lat., Floridian) 



The cottontail Hke the varying hare is a wide ranging species. It is 

 divisible into even more local races than its larger relative. Only three 

 of these subspecies occur within our limits. The typical form, 

 Lepus floridanus floridanus, is confined to the peninsula 

 of Florida. 



SUBSPECIES OF liEPUS PliORIDANUS 



General color bright yellowish brown with 

 a strong admixture of black ; a distinct 



black spot between ears L. floridanus transitionalis 



General color pale yellowish brown with 

 very faint admixture of black ; no 

 black spot between oars 

 Rump noticeably paler than back ; hind 



foot often over 100 (4) L. floridanus mearnsi 



Rump not noticeably paler than back ; 



hindfoot generally under 100 (4) L. floridanus mallurus 



Lepus floridanus transitionalis (Bangs) Northeastern cottontail 



1895 Lepus sylvaticus transitionalis Bangs, Proc. Boston soc. nat. 



hist. 1894. 26:405. 3lJan. 1895 (Liberty Hill Ct.) 

 1899 Lepus floridanus transitionalis Allen, Bull. Am. mus. nat. 



hist. 4 Mar. 1899. 12: 13. 



Hair long, full and silky; color bright, chiefly russet, wood brown and hazel; 

 back heavily sprinkled with black-tipped hairs; rump not noticeaily paler than 

 iack, a black spot between ears; ears thickly furred and with decided black mar- 

 gin on outer edge. Length, 430 (17); tail, 55 (2i); hind foot, 95 (3|). 

 (transitionalis; N. Lat., pertaining to the transition zone) 



The northeastern cottontail inhabits the transition zone of southern 

 New England and eastern New York. 



Lepus floridanus mearnsi Allen Eastern prairie cottontail 



1894 Lepus sylvaticus mearn si Allen, Bull. Am. mus. nat. hist. 6:171. 



(Fort Snelling Minn.) 



1895 Lepus sylvaticus mearnsi Bangs, Proc. Boston soc. nat. hist. 



26 : 406. 



