What is a Blacktailed Jackrabbit
Below is a transcription of the above sign found at the Valley of Fire Visitor Center.
Blacktailed Jackrabbit – Lepus californicus
HABIT
Any terrain with enough plant life to support it.
SIZE/DESCRIPTION
About 24 inches (60 cm) long, including tail about 3.5 inches (8 cm) long.
Long ears with black tips; very large hind feet.
Black stripe above tail gives animal its name.
Color: buff-gray or sandy fur peppered with black; white underside.
Eyes prominent, clear yellowish brown.
FOOD
Woody, dried vegetation in winter; cactus, mesquite, succulent plants
RANGE
Texas to California and from Colorado, Utah, Idaho, and Oregon to the Mexican border.
ADAPTATION FOR SURVIVAL
Hard to capture: large hind feet provide traction in sand, ability to leap great distances.
To detect danger, jackrabbits have very long ears that turn to hear sound from any direction; its bulging eyes cover almost a complete circle at one glance.
Very prolific: two-three litters of 3-6 young produced per year.
COMMENTS
Jackrabbits are actually hares (young are born fully furred, with eyes open).
Black Tailed Jackrabbit in the Desert of Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada
A beautiful black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) or American desert hare sits in the sand of Borrego Springs, California
Leave a Reply