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Lepus alleni

Mearns, 1890

Antelope Jackrabbit

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106344
Element CodeAMAEB03070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderLagomorpha
FamilyLeporidae
GenusLepus
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Taxonomic Comments
Pattern of cranial variation does not support current subspecific designations (see Best and Henry 1993).
Conservation Status
Review Date1996-11-05
Change Date1996-11-05
Range Extent Comments
Southern Arizona through western Mexico to northern Nayarit; also Tiburon Island in Gulf of California; from near sea level (Sonora) to 1500 m (Arizona) (Hoffmann, in Wilson and Reeder 1993; Best and Henry 1993).
Threat Impact Comments
In southern Arizona, has decreased significantly in recent years where the introduced Lehmann lovegrass has been established (R. Thompson, in Best and Henry 1993). Habitat alteration in Mexico may eventually lead to a decline there (Best and Henry 1993).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Arid grassy areas with scattered large shrubs; also deserts with little grass; foothills, mesas, bajadas, less common in barren deserts and mesquite of valley bottoms. Rests diurnally in shade beside or under vegetation. Young are born in small depression lined with mother's fur and sometimes grass; one nest was in the hollowed-out shell of a barrel cactus (Hoffmeister 1986); another nest was under a grass clump.

Ecology

Home range averages about 645 ha; population density up to about 0.5/ha (see Best and Henry 1993). May travel possibly up to 1 mile between daytime cover and nocturnal feeding area. May form groups of up to 25 individuals. Fast runner with great leaping ability.

Reproduction

Probably produces young in every month in Arizona (Hoffmeister 1986), with peaks in spring and mid-summer. Gestation lasts about 6 weeks. Produces up to 3-4 litters of 1-5 (mean 2) precocial young annually. Under favorable conditions, sexually mature in second year.
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousDesert
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial development——High (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areas——High (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture——High (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber crops——High (continuing)
5 - Biological resource use——High (continuing)
5.1 - Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals——High (continuing)
7 - Natural system modifications——High (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppression——High (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases——High (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases——High (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (3)
Arizona (3)
AreaForestAcres
Catalina St. Pk. Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest951
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
References (17)
  1. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2024. The Mammal Diversity Database (MDD). Online. Available: www.mammaldiversity.org
  2. Banfield, A. W. F. 1974. The mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. 438 pp.
  3. Best, T. L., and T. H. Henry. 1993a. <i>Lepus alleni</i>. American Society of Mammalogists, Mammalian Species 424:1-8.
  4. Bradley, R.D., L.K. Ammerman, R.J. Baker, L.C. Bradley, J.A. Cook. R.C. Dowler, C. Jones, D.J. Schmidly, F.B. Stangl Jr., R.A. Van den Bussche and B. Würsig. 2014. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2014. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 327:1-28. Available at: http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP327.pdf
  5. Burt, W. H. and R. P. Grossenheider. 1964. A field guide to the mammals. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  6. Chapman, J. A., and J. E. C. Flux. 1990. Rabbits, hares, and pikas. Gland, Switzerland, IUCN.
  7. Donoho, H.S. 1971. Dispersion and dispersal of white-tailed and black-tailed jackrabbits, Pawnee National Grasslands. US/IBP Grassland Biome Technical Report No. 96, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
  8. French, N. R., R. McBride, and J. Detmer. 1965. Fertility and population density of the black-tailed jackrabbit. Journal of Wildlife Management 29:14-26.
  9. Hall, E. R. 1981a. The Mammals of North America, second edition. Vols. I &amp; II. John Wiley &amp; Sons, New York, New York. 1181 pp.
  10. Hearn, B. J., L. B. Keith, and O. J. Rongstad. 1987. Demography and ecology of the arctic hare (<i>Lepus arcticus</i>) in southwestern Newfoundland. Canadian Journal of Zoology 65:852-861.
  11. Hoffmeister, D. F. 1986. Mammals of Arizona. University of Arizona Press and Arizona Game and Fish Department. 602 pp.
  12. Jones, J. K., Jr., R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, C. Jones, R. J. Baker, and M. D. Engstrom. 1992a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 146:1-23.
  13. Lechleitner, R. R. 1958. Movements, density, and mortality in a black-tailed jackrabbit population. Journal of Wildlife Management 22:371-384.
  14. Mammalian Species, nos. 1-604. Published by the American Society of Mammalogists.
  15. Smith, G. W. 1990. Home range and activity patterns of black-tailed jackrabbits. Great Basin Naturalist 50:249-256.
  16. Tiemeier, O. W. 1965. The black-tailed jackrabbit in Kansas. Kansas State University Agriculture Experimental Station, Manhattan. Contrib. No. 336. 75pp.
  17. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.