Desert Hare (Lepus californicus) lives in desert grassland across North America. It feeds on grass and leaves. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Desert Hare
- At about 2 ft (61 cm) long and weighing 3-6 lb (1.4-2.7 kg), the black-tailed jackrabbit ranks among the biggest hares in North America, sitting just behind the antelope and white-tailed jackrabbits. Its size lets it outrun many predators and cover large distances while foraging, a key advantage in open desert and grassland mosaics where cover is sparse.
- Breeding timing shifts with climate: in Idaho females produce two litters a year, while in Arizona they can have up to seven. Litter size also varies, averaging 4.9 leverets in Idaho, 3.8 in Utah, and just 2.2 in Arizona.
- A jackrabbit's daily trek can span 2-10 mi (3.2-16.1 km), moving from shrub cover by day to open foraging grounds by night. Their home ranges occupy 0.4-1.2 mi² (1.0-3.1 km²) in sagebrush and greasewood habitats of northern Utah.
- Jackrabbits meet most of their water needs from plants, needing a food's water weight to be at least five times its dry weight. When herbaceous vegetation is recovering from their foraging, they switch to deep-rooted phreatophyte shrubs.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeNorth America
HabitatDesert grassland
DietGrass and leaves
About the Desert Hare
In the scorching expanse of the desert, the desert hare moves with a quiet urgency, its long legs devouring the sandy dunes as it seeks refuge from the blistering sun. With eyes that shine like dark jewels, this elusive creature navigates the arid landscape with a singular purpose, its oversized ears twitching with every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves. As it bounds across the desert floor, its silhouette dissolves into the shimmering haze, a fleeting glimpse of a life adapted to the harshest of environments.
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