White-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus townsendii
White-tailed jackrabbits live in open grasslands, sagebrush flats, prairies, and agricultural edges across western and central North America. They are mostly crepuscular or nocturnal, resting in shallow surface forms by day and escaping danger with long, fast bounds and zigzag runs. Their diet is made up of grasses, forbs, twigs, bark, and cultivated plants when available. A notable feature is the seasonal color shift in many northern populations, where the coat can turn pale or white in winter for camouflage in snow.
- Type
- Swift
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- White-tailed Jackrabbit Leveret
- White-tailed Jackrabbit