Every early morning wander in the wash turns into an encounter with a Desert Cottontail. In fact, they are so common that my walks would seem strange without running into a Lagomorph. I like saying “Lagomorph”. I like how the name rolls off my tongue with a trill. Lagomorph isn’t really its official name. Lagomorpha is its “order” in the animal kingdom. This bunny’s scientific name is something much more serious: SYLVILAGUS AUDOBONII, so for a while, I will refer to this little desert hopper with the name that makes my tongue roll.
This morning, upon finding each other, I thought this was a baby bunny. He was just sitting there in his desert playroom happily among his toys, the little yellow balls of globe mallow decorating the desert. A bit bemused, I sat quietly on the ground while we stared at each other for several minutes. He was calm enough to move around while I took photos. Usually, they stand perfectly still, but he seemed pretty relaxed.
As I sat there watching him sniff this and that, it occurred to me that he may be two or three months old. Not brand new, but not a veteran of the wash yet. If my lagomorph calculations are correct, he may be pushing 20 in human years. Since cottontails live only a year or two, my entirely unscientific bunny calculations suggest he ages about six human years every month.
Oh, he is too old for that playroom. Which may explain his confidence & slow lazy lope to return to the bushes.
April 28, 2026 – Scottsdale, AZ
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