On now to some of the rabbits found in the Southwest: We have two jackrabbits, the Antelope and the Black Tail. First, the Antelope Jackrabbit. The Antelope Jackrabbit is found in Arizona and Northern Mexico. It has a body length that ranges from 18 to 24 inches long. Its tail will grow to lengths of 1 to 4 inches long. Its front legs grow 4 to 8 inches while their back legs grow from 8 to 12 inches long. The legs are where the Antelope Jackrabbit gets its name, after the fast, leaping antelopes of Africa. The Antelope Jackrabbit's ears grow to be 2 to 8 inches when fully grown. The ears of the Antelope Jackrabbit are not only used to hear but are also used to reduce and regulate body heat for survival in the hot conditions they live in. We don't see as many Antelope Jackrabbits as we do Black Tail Jackrabbits.
Antelope Jackrabbit
photo taken in the Galiuro Mountains
The Black Tail Jackrabbit, also known as the Desert Hare, is a common to the Western United States and Mexico. It has adapted to elevations from sea level to up to 10,000 feet. Like the Antelope Jackrabbit the Black Tail has distinctive long ears, and the long, powerful rear legs characteristic of hares. Reaching a length of about 2 feet, and a weight from 3 to 6 pounds, the Black Tail Jackrabbit is not quite as large as the Antelope Jackrabbit. The ears are black-tipped on the outer surface, and unpigmented inside. The Black Tail Jackrabbit loves mesquite pods. (Well as do the Harris Antelope and Round Tailed Ground Squirrels). But, we can count on seeing the Black Tail when the pods drop in July/August.
Black Tail Jackrabbit
photo taken at The Azure Gate
The Desert Cottontail is found throughout the western United States and Mexico. It is found at elevations of up to 6000 feet. It likes the dry near-desert grasslands of the American southwest, though it is also found in less arid habitats such as pinyon-juniper forest. The Desert Cottontail is quite similar in appearance to the European Rabbit though its ears are larger and are more often carried erect. It is also much less of a social animal, and makes much less use of burrows. Like all the cottontail rabbits, the Desert Cottontail has a rounded tail with white fur on the underside which is visible as it runs away. Adults are 13 to 17 inches long and weigh up to 3.3 lb. The ears are 3.1 to 3.9 inches long. The hind feet while large (about 3.0 inches in length) aren't nearly as large as the Jackrabbits. The females tend to be larger than the males. The female's "home range" is about one acre, while the males "home range" is about 20 acres. The Desert Cottontail is not usually active in the middle of the day, but it can be seen in the early morning or late afternoon. It eats grass, but will eat many other plants, even cacti. Although it rarely needs to drink, getting its water mostly from the plants it eats or from dew. However, in the hot summer days of Southern Arizona, it comes to our water bowls frequently. Many desert animals prey on cottontails, including hawks, bobcats, and coyotes. The cottontail's normal anti-predator behavior is running away in zig zag motion; it can reach speeds of 19 mph. Against small predators it will defend itself by kicking. The young are born in a shallow burrow or above ground, but they are helpless when born, and do not leave the nest until they are three weeks old. Where climate and food supply permit, females can produce several litters a year. Unlike the European Rabbit, they do not form social burrow systems.The Desert Cottontail is the rabbit that we see the most of. At any one time there may be as many as 50 on our property. Early morning or early evening there maybe 8 right outside my office eating from underneath a big mesquite tree.
Desert Cottontail
photo taken at The Azure Gate
The Mountain Cottontail is a little larger than the Desert Cottontail. Hind legs are long; the feet are densely covered with long hair. Ears are rounded at the tips and relatively short; the inner surfaces are noticeably haired. It has pale brown fur on the back, a distinct pale brown nape on the back of the head, black-tipped ears, a white gray tail, and a white underside. The Mountain Cottontail is confined to the inter mountain area of North America. It ranges from just above the Canadian border south to Arizona and New Mexico, and from the foothills of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and west to the eastern slopes of the Cascade-Sierra Nevada RangeMountain. Like the Desert Cottontail its diet is primarily grasses, but will eat other vegetation as well. As food source becomes more limited in the winter months the diet may turn to more woody plants, bark, and twigs. They are typically inactive during the day. They are not a social species and spend the largest quantity of time solitary. The most common social behavior seen is during reproductive actions or courting.
Mountain Cottontail
photo taken in the Galiuro Mountains
Coatis like canyons, as do many animals of the desert since water is easier to come by there. Some canyons, like those in the Galiuros have pools of water even if water is not flowing. Coatis have been harder to find, though, over the past couple of years. The cause is unclear; maybe the drought has kept the number born to a minimum; maybe some disease has affected the population; maybe they have become more afraid of humans; maybe the mountain lion population has taken more. You still see coati tracks by the pools (along with deer, javelina, skunk, and occasional lion). I was hiking once with my daughter Ashley through Muleshoe hoping to find some coatis for her to see. No luck this time, but we did come across a very willing and quite beautiful Antelope Jackrabbit. I was able to photograph him from several angles as he seemed perfectly content eating the grasses. Every once in a while he would "pop" up for a portrait like this one. What is special about the Galiuros is there is always something to see. Maybe not what you came for, but it seems to always have a surprise or two.
