Jackrabbits

A white-tailed jackrabbit

NPS Photo/John Collins

White-tailed Jackrabbit

Scientific Name

Lepus townsendii

Identification

• 6-10 lbs
• Easily distinguished from true rabbits by their large ears, large feet, and generally large body size.
• Are gray-brown in the summer and turns white in the winter except for the tips of their ears, which remain darker

Range and Habitat

The white-tailed jackrabbit's habitat range includes much of the northern Great Plains and west into the Rocky Mountain region. These jackrabbits live in open areas with sparse vegetation. They are rarely found living in forested areas, except for when conditions are unfavorable.

Diet

White-tailed jackrabbits seek out high protein foods such as winter wheat and dandelions and often eat their own droppings to regain lost protein. They primarily eat grasses and flowering plants with them resorting to shrubs if no grass or flowering plants are available.

Fun Facts

• White-tailed jackrabbits are the second largest hare in the world!
• Their large ears allow them to hear exceptionally well.
• They can run from 35 to 50 mph (56 to 80 kph) and cover 6–10 ft (2–3 m) with each bound. Jackrabbits will also swim when being pursued by predators.

 

Black-tailed jackrabbit.

Photo courtesy of Wallace Keck

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

Scientific Name

Lepus californiscus

Identification

• 3-8 lbs.
• Are gray-brown in color with black tips on their ears and black stripe running from their rump to their tail
• Have big feet, long hind legs, and ears sometimes up to 8 inches long

Range and Habitat

The black-tailed jackrabbit is primarily found throughout the southwestern US and into parts of Mexico. However, it's northern range extends into the Great Plains into states like Nebraska. These jackrabbits live in desert scrubland, farmlands, dunes, and open prairies. In the prairies south of the Missouri River and generally in their habitat, they prefer areas with sparse vegetation so they can spot predators before predators spot them.

Diet

The black-tailed jackrabbit is known to forage on leafy vegetation like grasses and forbs during spring and summer. In fall and winter, they switch to the buds, bark, and leaves of woody plants.

Fun Facts

• Black-tailed jackrabbits are not actually rabbits, but hares!
• Young jackrabbits eat their mother’s fecal matter for nutrients.
• Males are known to "box" with one another.
• Jackrabbits can start digging at just four days old!

 

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