Those rascally rabbits , they are everywhere in the desert . You see them mostly at dusk and at dawn .

There are two main kinds of rabbit in Big Bend . Jackrabbits are the bigger ones , with long ears and a powerful hop . The jackrabbit is classified as a hare . They look quite a bit like the smaller cottontail , but they have very different habits and personalities . The black-tailed jackrabbit , Lepus californicus , is the hare we see in Big Bend . They ’ re about two feet long , weigh up to nine pounds and can be quite imposing when standing on their strong hind legs . They have brown fur peppered with black , with a white underbelly . They have a black tail and black ear tips . Their head is narrow , and the set of their eyes allows them to see almost 360 degrees . That lets them always be watchful for predators from any direction . Both hawks and owls find the jackrabbit a lovely meal , as do foxes and coyotes , and in hard times more than one cowboy has found that a well-cooked wild hare will do .

Jackrabbits are born covered in fur , eyes open and ready to hop . They nurse for only a short time and in a month are out on their own . The females may have several litters a year . Although jackrabbits may live in close proximity to each other and warn each other of danger , they do not have family groups . When the male wants to mate , the female gives him a run for his money . If you see jack rabbits chasing each other across the landscape , chances are good they are courting . If the female isn ’ t interested , she might punch her suitor in the nose .

The long ears of the jackrabbit help them keep cool in the hot desert climate . As vegans they graze on grasses , wildflowers , shrubs , bushes , tasty sedges and herbage . They do drink some water but much of their need is met by the moisture in the plants themselves . They hunker down during the day , camouflaged by their coloring . They are best observed at dawn and dusk when they ’ re eating and socializing a bit . At that time of day , you ’ ll see them bounding every which way around the sage brush and the

creosote bush , their long ears catching the evening breeze .

A jackrabbit can move at a speed of about 40 miles an hour and jump almost 20 feet in one leap . Running and dodging are a rabbit ’ s major form of self-defense . They seem to enjoy doing it just for the fun of it as well . They live to be about five years old in the wild . Unlike their cousin the cottontail , the jackrabbit cannot really be tamed . Many gardeners consider the jack to be a determined and tricky opponent . Like raccoons , fencing rarely keeps them out for long . Once they find a good spot for a tasty meal , they will remember it .

Jackrabbit is an American name for the hare . It was started by Mark Twain , who first called them jackass rabbits . He claimed it was because they had ears like a donkey , but I suspect that the similarity in both personalities had something to do with it as well . Later , jackass rabbit was shortened to jackrabbit . Jackrabbits have figured in literature all throughout the ages , from children ’ s stories like Aesop ’ s Fables and Beatrix Potter , to John Updike ’ s 20th century novel Rabbit , Run about the angst of suburban life .

Here is an old-fashioned campfire story for a cold night ...

Why the Rabbit Sits with the Moon , or How the Deer Got Its Antlers

When the Jackrabbits and the Deer first met , they both wanted to graze during the day . The deer were tripping over the rabbits and the rabbits were feeling boxed in . The squabbling was making it hard on all the other animals , and so the neighborhood agreed the argument had to be resolved . It was decided to have a race . Mr . Rabbit and Mr . Deer would run from the big flat rock all the way to the Century Plant down the road . Whoever won would get some beautiful antlers that the Horned Toad had found under an ancient mesquite tree , and the loser would agree to graze only part of the day . The Owls and the Turkey Vultures and the Hawks gathered around the finish line , ready to declare the winner . The Donkey and the Foxes and the Lizards and the Snakes gathered around the start line in anticipation . The wise old Horned Toad signaled the start with a wave of his tail . The racers were off .

Mr . Deer headed straight for the finish line , running close to 40 miles per hour . He broke the ribbon with a huge cheer and then rested while waiting for Jack . Mr . Rabbit took off at close to 40 miles an hour as well but he zigged and zagged , changing direction several times , from the Mesquite to the Blue Bonnets to the Sunflowers to the Prickly Pear . Mr . Deer won the antlers hands down , so Mr . Rabbit also agreed to eat only at dawn and dusk , saying , “ I may have taken more time getting to the Century plant , but I had great fun and saw much beauty along the way .”

by Carolyn Zniewski

Even now the deer is noted for its serene character and hard work , and a rabbit is known for being charming but excitable and a little tricky . Because the rabbit naps during the day it stays up late at night and keeps the Moon company . It is easy to tell what good friends they are . Just look up at the moon when it ’ s a quarter full and you can see the rabbit sitting with the moon , keeping watch over sleeping children .

See Trivia on page 29