Despite the name, jackrabbits are actually hares, not rabbits. Hares are bigger than rabbits, with longer ears and hind legs. Jackrabbits, snowshoe hares, and varying hares belong to the same genus Lepus. Rabbits belong to a different genus, Sylvilagus. Rabbits are smaller with shorter ears and legs.
The term “bunny” likely comes from old Scottish and French words meaning “rabbit” or “good”. Now it usually just means a baby rabbit.
Cottontails refer to 16 rabbit species in the Sylvilagus genus. Snowshoe hares are a single Lepus species. So cottontails are rabbits, and snowshoes are hares.
Swamp rabbits live in wetlands of the southeastern U.S. They are in the Sylvilagus genus, so they are rabbits rather than hares.
The fictional “cabbit” – a cat/rabbit hybrid – has appeared in fantasy stories. But alleged real-life sightings are probably just Manx cats or hoaxes.
Hares have fur at birth and open eyes. Rabbit kittens are born hairless and blind. So jackrabbits’ young prove they are hares.
Male rabbits are “bucks”, females are “does”. Does visit bucks for breeding. Pairs of neutered males or females make the best pets.
What is the difference between a jack rabbit and a bunny rabbit? Since hares have large ears that resemble those of a jackass, they are commonly called a jack rabbit. How can you tell the difference between a wild rabbit and a hare? If you are in the wilderness and see a rabbit with large ears that are standing straight up, this could be a hare. Their ears are 5 to 6 inches long. Their bodies are slender and they have longer hind legs than a rabbit. A hare has long, large powerful hind legs and large ears. Their unique ears are not only hearing their predators, but also used to regulate their body temperature. The hares powerful long hind legs enable them to run away from danger, and they can run up to 45 miles per hour, and they run close to the ground. You can find hares and wild rabbits throughout the world.
The size of a black-tailed jackrabbit can go up to two feet in length. These hares weigh three to eight pounds but can be as heavy as ten pounds. The eyes of a jackrabbit are yellow with black pupils. What is the difference between a rabbit and a jackrabbit? When looking at the identification between hares and rabbits the length of their ears is definitely something to note. The ears of a typical rabbit are just a few inches long whereas a hare’s ears are usually double that length. A hare’s hind feet are longer than a rabbit’s hind feet allowing them to cover more ground when they leap. Along with having longer ears and hind feet a black-tailed jackrabbit is larger in overall size than a rabbit. Rabbits are known for making burrows with various tunnels throughout their habitat.
What does a jackrabbit eat?
Jackrabbits mainly eat plants, grasses, mesquite, and cacti. Their favorite food is alfalfa. Jackrabbits’ appendix functions to break down food before reaching the stomach.
Jackrabbit meat can taste much like domestic rabbit if cooked properly. Jackrabbits eat a lot of cactus fruit. Rabbits need hay and/or grass to function properly.
Birds and mammals prey on jackrabbits. Jackrabbits eat over one pound of vegetation daily. They eat grasses, shrubs or bark. In summer, rabbits eat grass and weeds. Wild rabbits also eat small berries, bark, twigs, fruits and seeds.
Jackrabbits eat plants including cacti. Cylinders of poultry netting around trees can protect them from rabbits. Coffee grounds can repel rabbits. Jackrabbits come out at night to feed on tough grasses, leaves, twigs, sagebrush and cacti.
Jackrabbit meat contains calcium with health benefits. It is low in cholesterol.
Are jackrabbits going extinct?
Jack rabbits live from North America to Mexico. The biggest feature is the large ears and hind legs. Some Jack Rabbits are extinct. Conservation laws are not enforced and jackrabbits are hunted for sport or food. The white sided jackrabbit is endangered as it needs pure grassland habitat. Lacking this, it disappears.
A jack rabbit’s ears are longer than a rabbit’s allowing them to cover more ground when leaping. Jackrabbits are nocturnal and sleep in hollows under shrubs. Their babies have open eyes. The jack rabbits’ departure may impact coyotes and juvenile elk. Wildlife managers could reintroduce white-tailed jack rabbits.
The name “jack rabbit” is from their long ears, causing some people to call them “jackass rabbits”. Mark Twain made this name famous by using it in his book. When attacked, they defend themselves by kicking, biting and shrieking to alert other jackrabbits. Their ears help regulate body temperature.
The jackalope is extremely rare and rumored to be extinct. In rare instances, visitors to Washington State Parks report witnessing jackalope herds. The black-tailed jackrabbit relies on running in a zigzag pattern to escape predators. Douglas Herrick invented the jackalope.