Jackass Rabbit

Well, technically, it's not a jackass and it's not even a rabbit! Jackrabbits are actually hares, not rabbits. Hares are larger than rabbits and have taller hind legs and longer ears. Jackrabbits were named for their ears, which reminded people of a jackass or donkey, resulting in the name "jackass rabbits." The writer Mark Twain brought this name to fame by using it in his book of western adventure, Roughing It. The name was later shortened to jackrabbit.

I was out exploring recently in the Hidden Valley area of Joshua Tree National Park and came across this guy (girl?). He blended in well and I likely wouldn't have noticed him except for those ears! They were sticking out above the ground cover like little flags, and were hard to miss.

So I had a decision to make. Should I attempt to wrestle off my backpack and put on my telephoto lens? The short answer is no. These guys never stick around long. They tend to be skittish and extremely fast, but I decided to try it anyway.

My, what big ears you have!!

To my surprise, he didn't run away! He perked up a little but otherwise wasn't much concerned with me.

Over the years, Lepus californicus has been widely used as food by humans, especially by Native Americans and the early miners. It's also a critically important prey species for hawks, owls, bobcats, coyotes and others higher up on the food chain. The huge ears are used in cooling, radiating heat via an extensive network of blood vessels. Controlling the flow of blood to the vessels in their ears is like a built-in air conditioning unit and allows them to survive and even thrive in the sweltering desert heat.

They are also natural athletes, being able to travel at speeds up to 40 mph, make sharp turns and run in a zigzag pattern to avoid Wile E Coyote, and make single leaps of more than 10 feet. How they manage to do all this with those giant ears is beyond me!

My favorite shot. I like the late afternoon back-light on those big ears as he checks me out!

Off he finally scampers, and off I go on the rest of my hike. I'll make a full post of this hike at a later date, but for now, come enjoy a couple sky shots from the end of my hike. Nothing but blue skies!

A giant, upside-down tooth??

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Thanks for stopping by!!