NPS Gallery White Tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii)Size: The white-tailed jackrabbit is large and weighs from 5–10 pounds. The body length is 18–22 inches with ears about 5–6 inches in length. Appearence: This hare is gray/brown in summer and turns all white in the winter except for the tips of the ears and top of the head which remains a grizzled gray or black. It's belly and the underside of the tail are white. Lifespan: About 96 months Habitat: Diet: They are hearboviores, which means they eat grasses, herbs, plants, flowers etc... Jackrabbits are not really rabbits at all. Instead, they are hares. These hares, with their long back legs and large ears, have a massive appetite and can eat up to one pound of food in a day. This means they must forage extensively during seasons when food is not as plentiful. Reproduction: Adult females have their first litter (average of four young) in early April, and may have two or three more litters during the summer. Hares are precocial -- they are born with eyes open and a furry hide and they can hop about soon after birth. |
Last updated: June 4, 2025