Facts About the Jack Rabbit's Habitat

Despite the name, jackrabbits are not rabbits but are what we also commonly refer to as hares. The name "jackrabbit" was coined by Mark Twain when referencing hares in his book, "Roughing It." Jackrabbits have longer ears, legs and bodies than rabbits and can move as quickly as 40 mph.

Species

There are four species of jackrabbits found in the United States: white-tailed, black-tailed, snowshoe and antelope.

Geography

The white-tailed jackrabbit dwells in California's east side of the Sierra, Nevada and Cascade ranges.
Black-tailed jackrabbits roam all four southwestern deserts.
The snowshoe is found in a narrow strip from the Oregon border down through the Sierras.
Antelope jackrabbits thrive in the southwestern United States, mainly in Arizona.

Features

White-tailed jackrabbit in the winter.

Jackrabbits carry similar traits and colors; however, they each have at least one distinguishing characteristic. White-tailed jackrabbits weigh between 6 and 8 pounds and have a white underside to their tail. In the summer they have a sandy brown coat that molts to white in the winter.
Black-tailed jackrabbits are 18 to 25 inches long and sport a brown-and-pepper-colored coat. Their tails have a black stripe and black also paints the tip of their ears.
The snowshoe is the smallest of the breed and are only slightly larger than the cottontail rabbit. Like the white-tailed jackrabbit, the snowshoe molts into white in early winter. They also grow long, matted hair between their toes to help tread the snow, hence their name.
Antelopes are 24 inches long and have a 1- to 4-inch tail. Their ears can grow to be 2 to 8 inches long and they have the most powerful legs of any hare.

Habitat

Black-tailed jackrabbit in his natural habitat.

White-tailed jackrabbits prefer to inhabit hills, mountains, open farmland and plains. Like most hares, they are nocturnal and hide during the day in shallow depressions that may be covered by plants or snow.
Black-tailed jackrabbits can be found roaming valleys and flat, open country.
The Snowshoe is seldom seen. They favor dense fir thickets or seclude themselves in deep snow.
The antelope prefers grassy hills and plains.

Nutrition

White-tailed jackrabbits consume a variety of grasses, shrubs, bark and clover. In the winter they seek buds, twigs and dried vegetation. According to nationalgeographic.com, they can consume more than a pound a day of vegetation, making them troublesome for farmers.
Black-tailed jackrabbits consume large amounts of grass, sagebrush and cacti.
A snowshoe jackrabbit enjoys grasses, clover, raspberries and blackberries. Winter brings a diet of tree bark, wood from aspen trees and needles from fir, cedar and spruce trees.
Antelope munch on desert native vegetation, such as mesquite, prickly pear and cats-claw.

References

• Facts about Jackrabbits
• Species of Jackrabbits
• Information about Hares

Resources

• Pictures of Jackrabbits