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Black-Tailed Jackrabbit
Scientific Name:
Lepus californicus
Type:
Mammal
Habitat:
Flat open desert scrub and mesquite grasslands
Range:
Western United States, Baja California, and south-central Mexico
Status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)
This species is
NATIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
Most recognizable for their large ears, black-tailed jackrabbits weigh three to seven pounds and grow to about two feet in length. These hares have sandy gray or buff colored coats with black fur tipping their tails and ears.
Fast Facts:
Despite their confusing name, all jackrabbit species are hares, not rabbits. While closely related, hares are larger than rabbits and usually have larger hind legs and bigger ears.
Jackrabbits were regularly hunted and consumed by the Paiute indigenous peoples of the Great Basin region.
Black-tailed jackrabbits are very fast and agile, able to run at speeds greater than 40 miles per hour and jump distances larger than 10 feet.
Sources:
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Animal Fact Sheet: Black-tailed Jackrabbit, 2021, https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Jackrabbit.php
National Geographic, Black-Tailed Jackrabbit, 2021, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/b/black-tailed-jackrabbit/
IUCN Red List, Black-tailed Jackrabbit, 2021, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41276/45186309
World Culture Encyclopedia, Paiutes, 2021, https://www.everyculture.com/multi/Le-Pa/Paiutes.html
National Park Service History eLibrary, PIAPAXA 'UIPI (BIG RIVER CANYON), 2021, http://npshistory.com/publications/glca/piapaxa-uipi.pdf
Pyramid Lake, The Paiute Language, 2021, http://www.numuinc.com/home/the-tribe/the-paiute-language/
Image: Gary L. Clark, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black-tailed_jackrabbit.jpg, license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en, cropped from original.
Contributor(s):
Faviola Rodriguez (research & content)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)