International Rabbit Day – September 24, 2022
International Rabbit Day
White-Tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii)
- This rabbit species is found throughout west-central Canada and the United States.
- White-tailed Jackrabbits prefer open grasslands but thrive in pastures and fields.
- Their enormous ears are equipped with generous blood flow that’s used for heat dissipation, plus they also provide an excellent means of predator detection.
- White-tailed Jackrabbits are nocturnal, feeding mainly from sunset to sunrise. During the day they rest in shallow forms which are dug into the earth 10-20 cm in depth and are usually under some form of plant cover.
- White-tailed Jackrabbits are strict herbivores. They feed on grasses, forbs, and shrubs in varying amounts.
- In the summer months, when many succulent plants are readily found, they feed on flora such as clover and dryland sedge.
- In the winter months, White-tailed Jackrabbits turn to the bark of shrubs such as Parry’s rabbitbrush and plants like alfalfa that is exposed through the snow. Winter wheat and western wheat grass are also imporant parts the diet.
