Black-tailed Jackrabbit: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Rabbits and Hares · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. In dry country, this jackrabbit gets most of the water its body needs from juicy plants rather than from drinking.
2. In the desert it even eats cacti, including the giant saguaro. In dry seasons, they are a key source of moisture.
3. Every day it commutes: it rests under shrubs by day, then travels 3.2 to 16.1 km to open ground to feed at night.
4. True to its name, the top of its tail is black. The black even runs a little way up its back, forming a short stripe.
5. Its babies can move about within minutes of being born. After leaving their shallow nest, they stick together for at least a week.

The quiz

1. Where does the black-tailed jackrabbit get most of its body water?

• From licking dew off rocks
• From water-rich plants it eats (correct)
• From drinking in rivers every hour
• From snow

It replaces most of its body water by eating moist plants.

2. Why are cacti so important to desert jackrabbits in dry seasons?

• They give shade for nests
• They hide it from eagles
• They provide moisture (correct)
• They are used to mark territory

Cacti are a key source of moisture when the land is dry.

3. What does the jackrabbit do each night?

• Sleeps in a deep burrow
• Hibernates under snow
• Climbs trees to rest
• Moves from shrub cover to open ground to feed (correct)

It shelters under shrubs by day and feeds in open areas at night.

4. What does the black colour on its tail do?

• It runs up the back as a short stripe (correct)
• It covers its whole body
• It turns white in winter
• It only shows on babies

The black top of the tail continues up the spine as a short stripe.

5. How soon can baby black-tailed jackrabbits move around?

• After three months
• After one year
• Within minutes of birth (correct)
• Only once they lose their fur

The young are mobile within minutes of being born.

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