I’ve been reading Mountains of the Heart: A Natural History of the Appalachians, by Scott Weidensaul (1994). I’ve read a lot of Appalachian ecology, but I’m delighted to find that I’m learning new things, almost on every page. Weidensaul is based in Schuykill Haven, Pennsylvania, which is in the Appalachians north of Reading, northeast of Harrisburg, and south of Scranton.
One of the most amazing things I’ve learned is that there are two species of rabbits in Fannin County, the familiar Eastern Cottontail and the Appalachian rabbit, which lives in higher elevations (above 3,000 feet), primarily in boreal forest habitats. I love the scientific name, Sylvilagus obscurus. Needless to say, it’s endangered, or at least a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Georgia.
The taxonomy is currently unclear. When Weidensaul wrote his book, this rabbit was classed as the New England Cottontail. Current thinking is that the New England Rabbit is found exclusively east of the Hudson River. But this may change, because recent analysis of mitrochondrial DNA does not support the separation. So Weidensaul may turn out to be right after all.
Another thing I didn’t know is that the DNR has a biodiversity portal. Here’s a fascinating article on the Appalachian cottontail from that portal.