The black-tailed jackrabbit, also known as the American desert hare, is a common hare found in the western United States and Mexico.
It can be found at elevations ranging from sea level up to 10,000 ft (3,000 m). This majestic creature can grow up to 2 ft (61 cm) in length and can weigh anywhere from 3 to 6 lb (1.4 to 2.7 kg), making it one of the largest North American hares.
They can be found in mixed shrub-grassland terrains, and their breeding habits are dependent on their location.
Typically, breeding peaks in the spring, but in warm climates, it can continue all year round. Young jackrabbits are born fully furred with their eyes open.
They are incredibly mobile and well camouflaged, which means that females do not need to protect or even stay with their young, except during nursing. The average litter size is around four, but in warm regions, it can be as low as two and as high as seven.
During winter, the black-tailed jackrabbit does not migrate or hibernate and uses the same habitat year-round.
Its diet consists of various shrubs, small trees, grasses, and forbs. In the fall and winter, shrubs generally comprise the bulk of their diet, while grasses and forbs are used in spring and early summer. The plant species they consume and the pattern of consumption vary with climate.
They are a significant prey species for raptors and carnivorous mammals such as eagles, hawks, owls, coyotes, foxes, and wild cats.
However, the hares also host numerous ectoparasites such as fleas, ticks, lice, and mites, which makes hunters often avoid collecting them.
Black-tailed Jackrabbit Facts for Kids
- Black-tailed jackrabbits live in North America.
- They have large ears and strong legs.
- Their tails have distinctive black tips.
- They’re herbivores, eating plants and shrubs.
- Jackrabbits are fast runners and jumpers.
- They’re most active during dawn and dusk.
- They use burrows or nests for shelter.
What Do Black-tailed Jackrabbits Look Like
Much like other members of the hare genus, boasts striking features such as long ears and powerful rear legs.
Standing at a length of approximately 2 feet and a weight ranging from 3 to 6 pounds, it is the third-largest North American jackrabbit, only outdone by the antelope jackrabbit and white-tailed jackrabbit. While the Arctic and Alaskan hares are somewhat larger than the jackrabbit clan, the black-tailed jackrabbit certainly holds its own.
With agouti dorsal fur peppered with black and creamy white undersides and leg interiors, this jackrabbit is a sight to behold. Its ears are black-tipped on the outer surfaces and unpigmented inside, adding to its distinctive appearance.
The tail boasts a grey to white ventral surface, while its dorsal surface is black and extends up the spine for a few inches to create a striking, short, black stripe.
Interestingly enough, females are larger than their male counterparts, but this is the only significant difference between the sexes.
Black-tailed Jackrabbit Lifestyle
They are fascinating creature, with a breeding season that varies depending on latitude and environmental factors.
Male jackrabbits reach sexual maturity at around 7 months of age, while females typically breed in the spring of their second year. However, females born in spring or early summer may breed in their first year.
Interestingly, copulation induces ovulation in black-tailed jackrabbits. In the northern part of their range in Idaho, they breed from February through May. In Utah, the breeding season extends from January through July, with over 75% of females pregnant by April.
Meanwhile, in warm climates, breeding continues nearly year-round. Two peak breeding seasons occur in California, Arizona, and New Mexico, corresponding to rainfall patterns and the growth of young vegetation.
In Arizona, for example, breeding peaks during winter (January–March) rains and again during June monsoons.
The gestation period for black-tailed jackrabbits ranges from 41 to 47 days, with more litters born in warmer climates. The number of a litter born each year varies from two per year in Idaho to seven in Arizona.
Litter sizes are largest in the northern portions of the jackrabbit’s range and decrease toward the south. For instance, the average litter size has been reported at 4.9 in Idaho, 3.8 in Utah, and 2.2 in Arizona.
In terms of birthing, female black-tailed jackrabbits do not construct elaborate nests. Instead, they give birth in shallow excavations called forms that are only a few centimeters deep. Prior to giving birth, some females may line the forms with hair, but others may drop litter in existing depressions on the ground with no further preparation.
Young black-tailed jackrabbits are born fully furred with their eyes open and are mobile almost immediately. Females do not stay with the young except during nursing. It is unclear when exactly weaning and dispersal occur since the young are well camouflaged and rarely observed in the field.
However, captive black-tailed jackrabbits are fully weaned by 8 weeks, and the young stay together for at least a week after leaving the form.
Black-tailed Jackrabbit Preferred Habitat
The adaptable jackrabbit can thrive in a variety of habitats, but only if there is a diverse array of plant species available. It requires a mix of grasses, forbs, and shrubs for sustenance, as well as shrubs or small trees for shelter.
It tends to avoid areas with dense understory growth and prefers moderately open spaces. For instance, in California, they can be found in open chamise and Ceanothus spp. chaparral interspersed with grasses but avoids closed-canopy chaparral. Similarly, it occupies early seral coniferous forest and clear-cuts but not the closed-canopy coniferous forest.
Unlike many other animals, they don’t migrate or hibernate during winter; they use the same habitat year-round.
They typically move between shrub cover during the day and open foraging areas at night, covering a distance of 2 to 10 miles (3-16 km).
The size of their home range varies depending on the quality of the habitat, with reported ranges of 0.4 to 1.2 mi2 (1-3 km2) in big sagebrush and black greasewood communities in northern Utah.
They need shrubs or small conifers for hiding, nesting, and thermal cover, and grassy areas for night feeding. Areas with a mix of shrubs and herbs provide both hiding cover and feeding opportunities.
However, small shrubs don’t provide enough cover. In the Snake River Birds of Prey Study Area in southwestern Idaho, black-tailed jackrabbits were more common on sites dominated by big sagebrush or black greasewood than on sites dominated by smaller shrubs like winter fat or shad scale.
Although they don’t normally use burrows, they have been known to seek refuge and thermal cover in abandoned burrows.
Black-tailed Jackrabbit Food habits
Their diet is a diverse array of shrubs, small trees, grasses, and forbs. An interesting fact about these creatures is that they feed on most if not all of the important plant species in a community throughout the year.
The selection of their diet may be influenced by the growth stage and moisture content of the plants more than by the species itself. During fall and winter, the majority of their diet consists of shrubs while during spring and early summer, they prefer grasses and forbs.
However, this pattern varies with climate, and herbaceous plants are grazed during greenup periods while the plants are in pre-reproductive to early reproductive stages, and shrubs are used more in dry seasons.
Even though shrubs are the preferred food during fall and winter, they are browsed throughout the year.
This is because most of the body water of a jackrabbit is replaced by the water-rich vegetation they forage on. It is essential for them to consume a plant’s water weight that is at least five times its dry weight to meet their daily water intake requirements.
As a result, they switch to phreatophyte shrubs during periods when herbaceous vegetation is recovering from their grazing.
The types of plants that are used by them are extensively documented for desert regions. However, forage use in other regions is not as well known.
Despite this, it has been observed that they will browse on seedlings of Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, and western hemlock, as well as oak seedlings and sprouts.
It is fascinating to watch them switch between different types of vegetation depending on the season and climate.
This adaptation to their environment allows them to thrive in a variety of habitats. In addition, the black-tailed jackrabbit’s ability to survive on plants that are abundant in their environment helps to keep their population in check.
The Diet of Black-tailed Jackrabbits in the Desert Ecosystem
In the warm desert areas, the main browse species are mesquite (Prosopis spp.) and creosotebush (Larrea tridentata). The other commonly used plants are Broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae) and Yucca spp.
The black-tailed jackrabbit diet in honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa) communities in New Mexico is mostly comprised of 47% shrubs, 22% grasses, and 31% forbs. The most commonly grazed grasses are black grama (Bouteloua spp.), dropseed (Sporobolus spp.), fluffgrass (Erioneuron pulchellum), and threeawns (Aristida spp.).
Forbs such as leather croton (Croton pottsii), silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata), wooly paperflower (Psilostrophe tagetina), and globemallow (Sphaeralcea spp.) are essential for the desert ecosystem.
Although many forb species are grazed, these are the most important. Cacti such as Opuntia spp., saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), and others are also crucial throughout the year, as they provide a source of moisture, especially during the dry season.
The desert ecosystem relies heavily on the interactions between plants and animals. Mesquite (Prosopis spp.) and creosotebush (Larrea tridentata) provide an excellent source of browse for animals such as black-tailed jackrabbits. Meanwhile, grasses such as black grama (Bouteloua spp.) and dropseed (Sporobolus spp.) are commonly grazed by grazing animals.
Forbs are also crucial for the desert ecosystem. They provide an essential source of nutrition for a wide range of desert animals. Leather croton (Croton pottsii), silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata), wooly paperflower (Psilostrophe tagetina), and globemallow (Sphaeralcea spp.) are also important forb species in the desert ecosystem.
Cacti such as Opuntia spp., saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), and other cacti are also critical for the desert ecosystem. They are a source of moisture, which is especially important during the dry season. The desert ecosystem is a delicate balance of plants and animals, and each plays a vital role in its survival.
What are Black-Tailed Jackrabbit Predators
They are a vital prey species for many raptors and carnivorous mammals. Along with Townsend’s ground squirrel, it is the most important prey species on the Snake River Birds of Prey Study Area.
The ferruginous hawk, white-tailed hawk, Swainson’s hawk, and red-tailed hawk are known to prey on them.
The Swainson’s, red-tailed, and ferruginous hawks rely heavily on them in Idaho and Utah. The great horned owl, burrowing owl, golden eagle, and bald eagle also feed on these jackrabbits. In fact, there is a significant correlation between a golden eagle and black-tailed jackrabbit reproduction patterns.
Interestingly, black-tailed jackrabbits make up 9% of nesting bald eagles’ diet in Colorado and southeastern Wyoming.
Further south, they combine with cottontails to form 9% of the diet of bald eagles wintering in national forests in Arizona and New Mexico. It’s safe to say that these rabbits are a crucial part of the food chain in their respective habitats.
On the mammal side, predators such as coyotes, bobcats, lynxes, domestic dogs and cats, red foxes, common gray foxes, American badgers, wolves, and mountain lions all hunt them.
In many areas, they make up the primary item in coyote diets, while bobcats in Utah and Nevada consume them up to 45% of the time.
They also rank fourth in the most commonly consumed prey of mountain lions in Utah and Nevada.
Even rattlesnakes and garter snakes prey on black-tailed jackrabbit young, while raccoons and striped skunks may also capture them.
These rabbits are essential to the ecosystem and are vital to the survival of many species in their habitats.