THE ANIMAL FILES

Black-tailed jackrabbit

Lepus californicus

Young hares meet the world already furred and open-eyed.

The black-tailed jackrabbit is a hare with long ears and strong hindlegs. Its dark-topped tail contrasts with paler undersides, while its feeding and breeding schedules vary across dry and seasonally green landscapes.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Black-tailed jackrabbit
Image: Jim Harper · Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5
Young
Born furred, open-eyed and mobile[1]
Birth site
A shallow depression called a form[1]
Food
Grasses, herbs and woody plants[1]

A hare begins above ground

Females give birth in shallow depressions rather than elaborate nursery burrows. The young already have fur and open eyes and become mobile soon after birth. Mothers return to nurse rather than staying continuously beside them.[1]

A menu follows green growth

Grasses and leafy herbs become important when fresh growth is available. Shrubs take a larger role in dry periods and colder seasons in many places. Moisture and growth stage can matter as much as the plant’s name.[1]

Rainfall can change breeding time

Breeding seasons differ with latitude and local conditions. In some southwestern regions, reproductive peaks correspond to rains and young vegetation. A calendar from one part of the range cannot be applied unchanged everywhere.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Are its newborns helpless and naked in a deep burrow?

No. They are born furred and open-eyed in shallow surface forms.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why track rain when studying its feeding?

Reveal the explanation

Rain affects fresh growth and plant moisture, both of which influence the vegetation the hare selects.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Black-tailed jackrabbit (fixed revision; adapted and translated)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Lepus californicus (identity and classification)

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

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