The white-tailed jackrabbit is a species of hare found throughout western North America. White-tailed jackrabbits have a brown to grayish-brown summer coat that, in northern populations, transitions to an almost pure white coat in the winter to provide camouflage in the snow. They are leaner than most other hares and rabbits. Their large ears, which are adapted for exceptional hearing as well as thermoregulation, are bordered in white and have black at the tips year-round. As their name suggests, they have white tails. White-tailed jackrabbits are easily confused with a closely related species, black-tailed jackrabbits, which are smaller, have black tails, and generally occur at lower elevations.
Overview
- Species Common Name White-tailed Jackrabbit
- Species Scientific Name Lepus townsendii
- State Listing Status Sensitive
Ecoregions
Blue Mountains
Located in NE Oregon, the Blue Mountains ecoregion is the largest ecoregion in the state. It provides a diverse complex of mountain ranges, valleys, and plateaus that extend beyond Oregon into the states of Idaho and Washington.
Columbia Plateau
The Columbia Plateau ecoregion was shaped by cataclysmic floods and large deposits of wind-borne silt and sand earlier in its geological history. It is dominated by a rolling landscape of arid lowlands dissected by several important rivers, and extends from the eastern slopes of the Cascades Mountains, south and east from the Columbia River to the Blue Mountains.
East Cascades
The East Cascade ecoregion extends from the Cascade Mountains' summit east to the warmer, drier high desert and down the length of the state. This ecoregion varies dramatically from its cool, moist border with the West Cascades ecoregion to its dry eastern border, where it meets sagebrush desert landscapes.
Northern Basin and Range
The Northern Basin and Range ecoregion covers the very large southeastern portion of the state, from Burns south to the Nevada border and from the Christmas Valley east to Idaho. It is largely a high elevation desert-like area dominated by sagebrush communities and habitats.