 = Black @-@ tailed jackrabbit = 
 
 The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit ( Lepus californicus ) , also known as the American desert hare , is a common hare of the western United States and Mexico , where it is found at elevations from sea level up to 10 @,@ 000 ft ( 3 @,@ 000 m ) . Reaching a length around 2 ft ( 61 cm ) , and a weight from 3 to 6 lb ( 1 @.@ 4 to 2 @.@ 7 kg ) , the black @-@ tailed jackrabbit is the third @-@ largest North American hare . Black @-@ tailed jackrabbits occupy mixed shrub @-@ grassland terrains . Their breeding depends on the location ; it typically peaks in spring , but may continue all year round in warm climates . Young are born fully furred with eyes open ; they are well camouflaged and are mobile within minutes of birth , thus females do not protect or even stay with the young except during nursing . The average litter size is around four , but may be as low as two and as high as seven in warm regions . 
 The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit does not migrate or hibernate during winter and uses the same habitat of 0 @.@ 4 to 1 @.@ 2 mi2 ( 1 – 3 km2 ) year @-@ round . Its diet is composed of various shrubs , small trees , grasses , and forbs . Shrubs generally comprise the bulk of fall and winter diets , while grasses and forbs are used in spring and early summer , but the pattern and plant species vary with climate . The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit is an important prey species for raptors and carnivorous mammals , such as eagles , hawks , owls , coyotes , foxes , and wild cats . The rabbits host many ectoparasites including fleas , ticks , lice , and mites ; for this reason , hunters often avoid collecting them . 
 
 = = Description = = 
 
 Like other jackrabbits , the black @-@ tailed jackrabbit has distinctive long ears , and the long , powerful rear legs characteristic of hares . Reaching a length about 2 ft ( 61 cm ) , and a weight from 3 to 6 lb ( 1 @.@ 4 to 2 @.@ 7 kg ) , the black @-@ tailed jackrabbit is the third @-@ largest North American hare , after the antelope jackrabbit and the white @-@ tailed jackrabbit . The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit 's dorsal fur is agouti ( dark buff peppered with black ) , and its undersides and the insides of its legs are creamy white . The ears are black @-@ tipped on the outer surfaces , and unpigmented inside . The ventral surface of the tail is grey to white , and the black dorsal surface of the tail continues up the spine for a few inches to form a short , black stripe . The females are larger than males , with no other significant differences . 
 
 = = Taxonomy and distribution = = 
 
 Although 17 subspecies are recognized , this number may be excessive . Using a cluster analysis of anatomical characters , Dixon and others found that black @-@ tailed jackrabbit subspecies separated into two distinct groups that are geographically separated west and east of the Colorado Rocky Mountains and the Colorado River . They suggested only two infrataxa are warranted : the western subspecies L. c. californicus and the eastern subspecies L. c. texianus . 
 The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit is the most widely distributed jackrabbit ( Lepus species ) in North America . Native black @-@ tailed jackrabbit populations occur from central Washington east to Missouri and south to Baja California Sur and Zacatecas . Black @-@ tailed jackrabbit distribution is currently expanding eastward in the Great Plains at the expense of white @-@ tailed jackrabbit . The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit has been successfully introduced in southern Florida and along the coastline in Maryland , New Jersey , and Virginia . 
 Distribution of subspecies occurring entirely or partially in the United States is : 
 Lepus californicus altamirae ( Nelson ) 
 L. c. asellus ( G. S. Miller ) 
 L. c. bennettii ( Gray ) – coastal southern California to Baja California Norte 
 L. c. californicus ( Gray ) – coastal Oregon to coastal and Central Valley California 
 L. c. curti ( E. R. Hall ) 
 L. c. deserticola ( Mearns ) – southern Idaho to Sonora 
 L. c. ememicus ( J. A. Allen ) – central Arizona to Sonora 
 L. c. festinus ( Nelson ) 
 L. c. magdalenae ( Nelson ) 
 L. c. martirensis ( J. M. Stowell ) 
 L. c. melanotis ( Mearns ) – South Dakota to Iowa , Missouri , and central Texas 
 L. c. merriamai ( Mearns ) – south @-@ central and southeastern Texas to Tamaulipas 
 L. c. richardsonii ( Bachman ) – central California 
 L. c. sheldoni ( W. H. Burt ) 
 L. c. texianus ( Waterhouse ) – southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado to Zacatecas 
 L. c. wallawalla ( Merriam ) – eastern Washington to northeastern California and northwestern Nevada 
 L. c. xanti ( Thomas ) 
 
 = = Plant communities = = 
 
 The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit occupies plant communities with a mixture of shrubs , grasses , and forbs . Shrubland @-@ herb mosaics are preferred over pure stands of shrubs or herbs . Black @-@ tailed jackrabbit populations are common in sagebrush ( Artemisia spp . ) , creosotebush ( Larrea tridentata ) , and other desert shrublands ; palouse , shortgrass , and mixed @-@ grass prairies ; desert grassland ; open @-@ canopy chaparral ; oak ( Quercus spp . ) , and pinyon @-@ juniper ( Pinus @-@ Juniperus spp . ) woodlands ; and early seral ( succeeding each other ) , low- to mid @-@ elevation coniferous forests . It is also common in and near croplands , especially alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ) fields . 
 
 = = Major life events = = 
 
 Male black @-@ tailed jackrabbits reach sexual maturity around 7 months of age . Females usually breed in the spring of their second year , although females born in spring or early summer may breed in their first year . Ovulation is induced by copulation . The breeding season is variable depending upon latitude and environmental factors . In the northern part of their range in Idaho , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits breed from February through May . In Utah , they breed from January through July , with over 75 % of females pregnant by April . The Kansas breeding season extends from January to August . Breeding in warm climates continues nearly year @-@ round . Two peak breeding seasons corresponding to rainfall patterns and growth of young vegetation occur in California , Arizona , and New Mexico . In Arizona , for example , breeding peaks during winter ( January – March ) rains and again during June monsoons . 
 The gestation period ranges from 41 to 47 days . More litters are born in warm climates : the number of litters born each year ranges from two per year in Idaho to seven in Arizona . Litter sizes are largest in the northern portions of black @-@ tailed jackrabbit 's range and decrease toward the south . Average litter size has been reported at 4 @.@ 9 in Idaho , 3 @.@ 8 in Utah , and 2 @.@ 2 in Arizona . 
 Female black @-@ tailed jackrabbits do not prepare an elaborate nest . They give birth in shallow excavations called forms that are no more than a few centimeters deep . Females may line forms with hair prior to giving birth , but some drop litters in existing depressions on the ground with no further preparation . Young are born fully furred with eyes open , and are mobile within minutes of birth . Females do not protect or even stay with the young except during nursing . Ages of weaning and dispersal are unclear since the young are well camouflaged and rarely observed in the field . Captive black @-@ tailed jackrabbits are fully weaned by 8 weeks . The young stay together for at least a week after leaving the form . 
 
 = = Preferred habitat = = 
 
 The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit can occupy a wide range of habitats as long as diversity in plant species exists . It requires mixed grasses , forbs , and shrubs for food , and shrubs or small trees for cover . It prefers moderately open areas without dense understory growth and is seldom found in closed @-@ canopy habitats . For example , in California , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits are plentiful in open chamise ( Ademostoma fasciculatum ) and Ceanothus spp. chaparral interspersed with grasses , but does not occupy closed @-@ canopy chaparral . Similarly , the black @-@ tailed jackrabbit occupies clearcuts and early seral coniferous forest , but not closed @-@ canopy coniferous forest . 
 Black @-@ tailed jackrabbits do not migrate or hibernate during winter ; the same habitat is used year @-@ round . Diurnal movement of 2 to 10 miles ( 3 – 16 km ) occurs from shrub cover in day to open foraging areas at night . Home range area varies with habitat and habitat quality . Home ranges of 0 @.@ 4 to 1 @.@ 2 mi2 ( 1 – 3 km2 ) have been reported in big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ) and black greasewood ( Sarcobatus vermiculatus ) communities of northern Utah . 
 Black @-@ tailed jackrabbits require shrubs or small conifers for hiding , nesting , and thermal cover , and grassy areas for night feeding . A shrub @-@ grassland mosaic or widely spaced shrubs interspersed with herbs provides hiding cover while providing feeding opportunities . Small shrubs do not provide adequate cover . In the Snake River Birds of Prey Study Area in southwestern Idaho , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits were more frequent on sites dominated by big sagebrush or black greasewood than on sites dominated by the smaller shrubs winterfat ( Krascheninnikovia lanata ) or shadscale ( Atriplex confertifolia ) . Black @-@ tailed jackrabbits do not habitually use a burrow , although they have occasionally been observed using abandoned burrows for escape and thermal cover . 
 
 = = Food habits = = 
 
 The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit diet is composed of shrubs , small trees , grasses , and forbs . Throughout the course of a year , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits feed on most if not all of the important plant species in a community . Growth stage and moisture content of plants may influence selection more than species . Shrubs generally comprise the bulk of fall and winter diets , while grasses and forbs are used in spring and early summer . This pattern varies with climate : herbaceous plants are grazed during greenup periods while the plants are in prereproductive to early reproductive stages , and shrubs are used more in dry seasons . Shrubs are browsed throughout the year , however . Most of a jackrabbit 's body water is replaced by foraging water @-@ rich vegetation . Jackrabbits require a plant 's water weight to be at least five times its dry weight to meet daily water intake requirements . Therefore , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits switch to phreatophyte ( deep @-@ rooted ) shrubs when herbaceous vegetation is recovering from their foraging . 
 Plant species used by black @-@ tailed jackrabbits are well documented for desert regions . Forage use in other regions is less well known . However , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits browse Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ) , ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ) , lodgepole pine ( P. contorta ) , and western hemlock ( Tsuga heterophylla ) seedlings , and oak ( Quercus spp . ) seedlings and sprouts . 
 
 = = = Great Basin = = = 
 
 In Great Basin , big sagebrush is a primary forage species and is used throughout the year ; in southern Idaho it forms 16 – 21 % of the black @-@ tailed jackrabbit summer diet . Rabbitbrush ( Chrysothamnus spp . ) , spiny hopsage ( gray spinosa ) , and black greasewood are also browsed . Four @-@ wing saltbush ( Atriplex canescens ) is heavily used in western Nevada . In Butte County , Idaho , winterfat comprises 41 % of black @-@ tailed jackrabbits ' annual diet . Grasses comprise 14 % of the diet , with most grass consumption in March and April . Russian thistle ( Salsoda kali ) is an important forb diet item . Needle @-@ and @-@ thread grass ( Stipa comata ) and Indian ricegrass ( Oryzopsis hymenoides ) are preferred grasses . Other preferred native grasses include Sandberg bluegrass ( Poa secunda ) and bluebunch wheatgrass ( Pseudoroegneria spicata ) . Where available , crested wheatgrass ( Agropyron desertorum and Agropyron cristatum ) and barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) are highly preferred . Cheatgrass ( Bromus tectorum ) use is variable : it comprises 45 % of the April diet on two southern Idaho sites , but black @-@ tailed jackrabbit on an eastern Washington site do not use it . 
 
 = = = Warm desert = = = 
 
 In warm desert , mesquite ( Prosopis spp . ) and creosotebush ( Larrea tridentata ) are principal browse species . Broom snakeweed ( Gutierrezia sarothrae ) and Yucca spp. are also used . In honey mesquite ( Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa ) communities in New Mexico , the overall black @-@ tailed jackrabbit diet was 47 % shrubs , 22 % grasses , and 31 % forbs . Black grama ( Bouteloua spp . ) , dropseed ( Sporobolus spp . ) , fluffgrass ( Erioneuron pulchellum ) , and threeawns ( Aristida spp . ) are the most commonly grazed grasses . Leather croton ( Croton pottsii ) , silverleaf nightshade ( Solanum elaeagnifolium ) , desert marigold ( Baileya multiradiata ) , wooly paperflower ( Psilostrophe tagetina ) , and globemallow ( Sphaeralcea spp . ) are important forbs , although many forb species are grazed . Opuntia spp . , saguaro ( Carnegiea gigantea ) , and other cacti are used throughout the year , but are especially important in dry seasons as a source of moisture . 
 
 = = Predators = = 
 
 The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit is an important prey species for many raptors and carnivorous mammals . The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit and Townsend 's ground squirrel ( Spermophilus townsendii ) are the two most important prey species on the Snake River Birds of Prey Study Area . Hawks preying on black @-@ tailed jackrabbits include the ferruginous hawk ( Buteo regalis ) , white @-@ tailed hawk ( Buteo albicaudatus ) , Swainson 's hawk ( B. swainsoni ) , and red @-@ tailed hawk ( B. jamaicensis ) . The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit is the primary prey of Swainson 's , red @-@ tailed , and ferruginous hawks on Idaho and Utah sites . Other raptors consuming black @-@ tailed jackrabbits include the great horned owl ( Bubo virginianus ) , burrowing owl ( Athene cunicularia ) , golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ) , and bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) . A significant correlation exists between golden eagle and black @-@ tailed jackrabbit reproduction patterns . In Colorado and southeastern Wyoming , black @-@ tailed jackrabbits constitute 9 % of nesting bald eagles ' diet . Jackrabbits and cottontails ( Sylvilagus spp . ) combined form 9 % of the diet of bald eagles wintering on national forests in Arizona and New Mexico . 
 Mammalian predators include coyote ( Canis latrans ) , bobcat ( Lynx rufus ) , lynx ( Lynx canadensis ) , domestic dog ( Canis lupus familiaris ) , domestic cat ( Felis catus ) , red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) , common gray fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ) , American badger ( Taxidea taxus ) , wolf ( Canis lupus ) , and mountain lion ( Felis concolor ) . In many areas , black @-@ tailed jackrabbit is the primary item in coyote diets . It is locally and regionally important to other mammalian predators . One study found that jackrabbits made up 45 % of the bobcat diet in Utah and Nevada . Another Utah – Nevada study found that jackrabbits were the fourth @-@ most commonly consumed prey of mountain lions . 
 Rattlesnakes ( Crotalus spp . ) and garter snakes ( Thamnophis sirtalis ) prey on black @-@ tailed jackrabbit young . Raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) and striped skunks ( Mephitis mephitis ) may also capture young . 
 
 = = Parasites and disease = = 
 
 The black @-@ tailed jackrabbit plays host to many ectoparasites including fleas , ticks , lice , and mites , and many endoparasites including trematodes , cestodes , nematodes , and botfly ( Cuterebra ) larvae . Diseases affecting the black @-@ tailed jackrabbit in the West are tularemia , equine encephalitis , brucellosis , Q fever , and Rocky Mountain spotted fever . Ticks are vectors for tularemia , and infected ticks have been found on jackrabbits in the West . Jackrabbits infected with tularemia die very quickly . 
 The high prevalence of disease and parasites in wild jackrabbits affects human predation . Many hunters will not collect the jackrabbits they shoot , and those who do are well advised to wear gloves while handling carcasses and to cook the meat thoroughly to avoid contracting tularemia . Most hunting of jackrabbits is done for pest control or sport . 
 
 