Also known as the American desert hare, the Black-Tailed Jackrabbit is a common hare of the western United States and Mexico. Like other jackrabbits, the black-tailed jackrabbit has distinctive long ears, and the long powerful rear legs characteristic of hares. Reaching a length about 2 ft, and a weight from 3 to 6 lb, the black-tailed jackrabbit is the third-largest North American hare, after the antelope jackrabbit and the white-tailed jackrabbit. The ears are black-tipped on the outer surfaces, and unpigmented inside. The black-tailed jackrabbit does not migrate or hibernate during winter and uses the same habitat year-round.
Its diet is composed of various shrubs, small trees, grasses, and forbs. Shrubs generally comprise the bulk of fall and winter diets, while grasses and forbs are used in spring and early summer, but the pattern and plant species vary with climate.
