White-tailed Jackrabbit
White-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus townsendii
Lepus townsendii
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Population, Conservation Status, Threats:
Considered least concern by the IUCN, although populations appear to be decreasing. Threats include habitat loss due to conversion of prairie to agricultural land.
Physical Description:
White-tailed jackrabbits are a large species of hare, with long legs and ears. Their coloration changes seasonally, from gray to brown in the summer to white during the winter.
Overall white-tailed jackrabbit range from Montana Field Guide. They are found in prairie ecosystems from eastern Oregon, Washington, and northern California, to the great lakes, as far south as northern New Mexico, and as far north as southern Canada.
Habitat:
Generally prefers open prairie and plains habitat, but also occupies montane shrublands and alpine and subalpine zones.
Behavior:
White-tailed jackrabbits are nocturnal, spending their nights foraging and their days resting in shallow burrows. They are solitary, rarely interacting with other individuals except to breed.
Diet:
Diet varies by seasonal food availability - in the summer, they prefer grasses, forbs, and tender plants. During the winter, they will resort to twigs, buds, and bark as food sources.
Reproduction:
Like all hares, the young are precocial, being able to fend for themselves within hours of birth. Gestation lasts from 30 to 43 days, and females may produce up to four litters per year, with an average of 4-5 young per litter. Weaning occurs a month after birth, and offspring leave the mother at two months of age.
Associated Species:
Coyotes, badgers, and bobcats all prey upon white-tailed jackrabbits. In parts of their range, white-tailed jackrabbits compete directly with black-tailed jackrabbits for habitat and resources.
Illustration by Willow Sedam
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