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 White-tailed
Jackrabbit
Lepus townsendii (photo)
Equipped with enormous ears, the white-tailed jackrabbit uses them to
detect predators and also to release body heat into the hot summer sky.
During the heat of the day, these large herbivores keep cool in the shade
of rabbitbush or small depressions in the sand. In the evening, night
and morning hours, the white-tailed jackrabbit feeds on grasses
and other succulent vegetation. In the arid landscape of the Great Sand
Dunes, this species excretes nearly-dry pellets to conserve moisture.
Predators, such as hawks, coyotes and owls, must contend with its powerful
hind legs which can carry this jackrabbit swiftly to safety.
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