**Jack Rabbits** are actually species of **hares** (genus *Lepus*), not true rabbits, distinguished by their long legs, large ears, and the fact that their young (leverets) are born fully furred and with eyes open (precocial). Common species include the **Black-tailed Jack Rabbit** (*L. californicus*). They are herbivores that are primarily active at dusk and night, and they are capable of achieving high speeds (up to 40 mph) and large leaps to evade predators. They are considered pests when their feeding habits cause extensive damage to gardens, agricultural crops, and young trees.
Taxonomy and Classification
Jack Rabbits belong to the order Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares, pikas). They differ from true rabbits by living above ground in a shallow depression called a **form**, rather than in burrows. They are solitary or live in small groups. Like all lagomorphs, they practice **cecotrophy** (reingesting a specific type of their own droppings) to maximize nutrient absorption from their fibrous diet.
Physical Description
Jack Rabbits are large lagomorphs, weighing 4 to 9 pounds, characterized by their immense ears and powerful hind legs.
- **Appearance:** Coloration is typically a grizzled gray-buff, providing excellent camouflage in desert and scrub environments. The Black-tailed Jack Rabbit has a distinctive black streak on the top of its tail.
- **Ears (Heat Dissipation):** The unusually long ears (up to 7 inches) are rich in blood vessels and serve the dual purpose of acute hearing and dissipating body heat in arid climates.
- **Nesting:** Young are born in a shallow, fur-lined depression in the ground, completely exposed, but they can move and fend for themselves shortly after birth.
- **Damage Sign:** Cleanly cut, angled stems on plants (unlike the ragged cuts left by deer) and bark removed in strips from the base of young trees and shrubs, especially in winter.
Distribution and Habitat
Jack Rabbits are common throughout the open, arid, and semi-arid regions of western North America. Their habitat is open grasslands, pastures, desert scrub, and brushlands. They prefer areas with good visibility to spot predators, and they seek cover in shallow forms under bushes or tall grasses during the day.
Behavior and Conflict
Jack Rabbits are voracious herbivores, eating a wide variety of plants daily.
- **Diet:** They consume grasses, alfalfa, clover, wild vegetation, and in times of scarcity (especially winter), they subsist on woody shrubs and tree bark.
- **Girdling:** Their feeding on the bark and tissue of young trees and shrubs can lead to **girdling**—the removal of the bark entirely around the circumference of the trunk—which kills the plant by preventing nutrient flow.
- **Agricultural Impact:** They can cause significant loss in vegetable and fruit crops, particularly in newly planted gardens or fields adjacent to open range.
- **Defense:** They rely on lying still for camouflage, followed by rapid, zig-zag running and leaping to escape coyotes, hawks, and other predators.
Management and Prevention
Control focuses on exclusion and habitat modification, as removal is difficult and often temporary.
- Install physical fencing around vulnerable areas (gardens, individual trees). Fencing should be at least **24 inches high**, made of 1-inch mesh or smaller chicken wire/hardware cloth.
- To prevent burrowing underneath, secure the bottom edge tightly to the ground with stakes or bury the fence 6 inches deep.
- Protect young trees and shrubs in winter by wrapping the trunks with tree guards, wire mesh cylinders, or commercial tree wrap.
- Remove brush piles, debris, and excessive tall weeds near gardens that provide attractive daytime shelter and hiding places (forms).
- Apply taste or odor repellents (e.g., thiram, capsaicin/hot pepper products) to non-edible plants. Repellents must be reapplied frequently, especially after rain or to new growth.
Conservation and Research
Jack Rabbits are managed as a common wildlife species and an agricultural pest. Research focuses on understanding their population cycles and movement patterns in relation to land use, as they serve a vital role as a primary food source in many western predator food webs.