Black-tailed jackrabbit

Black-tailed jackrabbit[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Lagomorpha
Family: Leporidae
Genus: Lepus
Species:
L. californicus
Binomial name
Lepus californicus
Subspecies
  • Lepus californicus californicus
  • Lepus californicus deserticola
  • Lepus californicus insularis
  • Lepus californicus madalenae
  • Lepus californicus melanotis
  • Lepus californicus texianus
Black-tailed jackrabbit range
Black-tailed jackrabbit sitting
Juvenile black-tailed jackrabbit eating a carrot in the California Mojave Desert
Weathered adult black-tailed jackrabbit eating
An adolescent black-tailed jackrabbit in the Mojave Desert, California

The black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), also known as the American desert hare, is a common hare of the western United States and Mexico, where it is found at elevations from sea level up to 10,000 ft (3,000 m). Reaching a length around 2 ft (61 cm), and a weight from 3 to 6 lb (1.4 to 2.7 kg), the black-tailed jackrabbit is one of the largest North American hares. Black-tailed jackrabbits occupy mixed shrub-grassland terrains. Their breeding depends on the location; it typically peaks in spring, but may continue all year round in warm climates. Young are born fully furred with eyes open; they are well camouflaged and are mobile within minutes of birth, thus females do not protect or even stay with the young except during nursing. The average litter size is around four, but may be as low as two and as high as seven in warm regions.

The black-tailed jackrabbit does not migrate or hibernate during winter and uses the same habitat of 0.4–1.2 sq mi (1.0–3.1 km2) year-round. Its diet is composed of various shrubs, small trees, grasses, and forbs. Shrubs generally comprise the bulk of fall and winter diets, while grasses and forbs are used in spring and early summer, but the pattern and plant species vary with climate. The black-tailed jackrabbit is an important prey species for raptors and carnivorous mammals, such as eagles, hawks, owls, coyotes, foxes, and wild cats. The hares host many ectoparasites including fleas, ticks, lice, and mites; for this reason, hunters often avoid collecting them.

Typical pose when alerted
  1. ^ Hoffman, R.S.; Smith, A.T. (2005). "Order Lagomorpha". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  2. ^ Brown, D.E.; Lorenzo, C.; Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T. (2019). "Lepus californicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T41276A45186309. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T41276A45186309.en. Retrieved 12 March 2022.