Species MammalsBlack-tailed Jackrabbit

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

Lepus californicus

CommonMammal
Illustration of Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus)

The Black-tailed Jackrabbit is a large hare with impossibly long ears that radiate excess body heat, acting as a biological air conditioner in desert environments. When fleeing predators, it can reach speeds of 40 mph and leaps up to 20 feet in a single bound. Its populations periodically irrupt to extremely high densities before crashing, a pattern driven by food availability and predation.

Habitat
Open deserts, grasslands, and agricultural areas
Diet
Grasses, cacti, shrubs, and agricultural crops
How common
Common

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