Thursday, June 13, 2019

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!!

66 comments:

  1. Gorgeous skies, and quite a hare!

    It's been a few years since I've read Roughing It, but I loved the book.

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  2. Great captures! Those big ears are worth it:):) Yeah, I know what you mean, wrestling to get your photo equipment out in time! Looking at your previous post, my guess is I forgot to visit your blog last weekend - I apologize. Beautiful see-through rock! Have a great weekend in the desert!

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  3. I'm sure you're right about the "jackass rabbit" derivation of the name, though in Britain male hares have always been called "jacks" (and the females of course are "jills" - it's true!). I thought ours had big ears but nothing to compare with the jackrabbit.

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  4. Marvelous blue skies but the jackrabbit stole the show ~ what an awesome critter and great photos!

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  5. Those ears are HUGE! Oh and that last photo, I spy with my eye a shooting star! Amazing captures as always! Happy Weekend ahead!

    Stevenson

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  6. gorgeous shots of an animal. specially the back lit ears. question: after sunset you are still in desert? hopefully close to the car?

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    1. Hi Klara. Thanks for your comment. I'm usually finishing up my hike (hiking back to the car) around sunset. That's usually the best time for photography, so always tempting to stay later. I keep a flashlight and headlamp with me just in case!

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  7. You got some fantastic photos of this fellow with the big ears. I don't often see them out and about but, I did see one last fall. He was way to fast for me to snap a photo. When I go walking at the Desert Botanical Garden, I see plenty of rabbits but no jackrabbits.

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  8. We love the old crazy movie Coneheads and the rock formation made me think of that! lol The rabbit is crazy! Those ears are something else! My husband reads your blog too. We love seeing what you see! Enjoy your week!

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  9. I've never seen a jackrabbit in person and didn't know they are different from what I think of as rabbits. Those are some ears!

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  10. I am sure I have not seen this in person, because I would remember those ears for sure!


    Worth a Thousand Words

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  11. Those ears are immense!
    Especially the last sky shot is a beauty.

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  12. That's amazing that he sat there for you - great shots!

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  13. Reminds me of some of the characters I ran into at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico.

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  14. Those ears are HUGE. Surprising he didn't scamper away quickly, but great you got the shots.

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  15. Love the teeth like boulder. Wonderful composition

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  16. You must have been really quiet while taking your lens out. Those are really great photos. Love the Joshua Tree silhouette.

    -Soma

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  17. Very interesting! Those ears are really big. I like the giant upside down tooth and the trees. Happy weekend!

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  18. The better to hear you with... He really is a cutie. Our rabbits are generally shy, although we did have a young one who enjoyed snoozing in our front yard.

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  19. Vaya, es muy grande, para lo rápidas que son, le hiciste buenas fotos
    La úlima foto me gusta. Lindo atardecer, bien pillado el avión.
    Un abrazo.

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  20. With such big ears I would call it a hare. The last photo with the sun through its ears is really NG worthy.

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  21. What an opportunity you had. Wonderful pictures. I've never seen a hare in person.

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  22. wow Jackrabbits, So cute :)
    Thanks for all pics.
    Happy Weekend.

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  23. Hello, I love those ears on the Jackrabbit. What a cutie, great sighting and photos. Your blue sky images are beautiful, love the Joshua trees. Enjoy your day, have a happy weekend!

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  24. Hi! It's very interestin to see this jackrabbit. Your last photo is very very beautiful.Thanks for sharing.

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  25. Beautiful captures of the jackrabbit and the skies!

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  26. Are you sure the tooth rocks are a sunken Jackrabbit? Great pictures; one and all.

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  27. I had no idea hares weren't rabbits!

    All nice shots!!

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  28. ROFL....those big ears are so cute! I love how the sun showed off his/her ears and that he/she posed for you. What a character! Upside down tooth boulder ... now that is different but interesting. Always enjoy what you see and shoot. Happy Father's Day!

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  29. Awesome find, last night my wife and I had the privilege of watching a young hare around by our caravan. She managed a few photos but like your jackrabbit it did not say around long. Hares have big ears similar to the jackrabbit

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  30. I love this post and even though my yard is full of jackrabbits all the time, there's no way I could capture one with my camera as well you did here. That one with the sun, the last one, is National Geographic material. When Faith chases them, they will jump high into the air, turn in the air, and run away in a different direction, never to be caught. Faith says, this is why she prefers to chase her ball.

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  31. Great camouflage UNTIL the sun shines through those ears! Lovely photos. The British brown hare is our fastest land animal and it has featured since early times in folklore, mythology and in stories for children. Sadly they are very much in decline as their habitat dwindles.

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  32. The shot of the light coming through his ears — wonderful!

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  33. Great Blog, thanks for a good visit. The information on the jack is interesting. We have hiked a lot, but only one or two winters in the desert. BUT we were so pleasantly surprised that we enjoyed a month near Gila Bend. Looking forward to more interesting pics and info from the desert, and maybe some spare parts! LOL
    Sherry & jack

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  34. I have never seen a jackrabbit with such big ears. They are incredible. Nice shots of the skies, they are beautiful.
    Have a wonderful weekend.

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  35. Those ears! Wow, quite a fashion statement nature wise.

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  36. I love scaring up jackrabbits when I'm out walking. They could probably keep up with kangaroos, don't you think?

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  37. Wow! Those are large ears! And thanks for sharing the interesting information about them. I like your last photo, too.
    As for your question about the butterfly's wings. Silver-spotted Skippers tend to hold their forewings and hindwings at different angles instead of together as other butterflies do. They do look like extra wings, especially when viewed from the front.
    Have a great weekend!

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  38. Huge ears. Lovely back light. Great capture!

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  39. Wow, I only thought I have seen jackrabbits before. Those ears are spectacular!!

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  40. Fantastic photos! Here in upstate NY we don't get to see jackrabbits. Didn't realize they had such giant ears. :) I did know they were not rabbits but hares. They are in the same family I would gather. Stopping by here I learned something new. Thanks for sharing.

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  41. They are some pretty big ears!

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  42. You got some terrific photos of the jackrabbit. Those are huge ears! I love your night sky :-) Happy Father's Day.

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  43. Wow, I've never seen a jackrabbit! Very cool photos and those ears are amazing! Love the tooth rock too! :)

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  44. You photos are amazing, oh so beautiful! Thank you so much for visiting me today, I had to come back to visit and I’m so glad I have,

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  45. I didn't know any of this about Jackrabbits. Thanks for the education! I'm glad it stayed and posed for you :)

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  46. Yes I agree, the rock does look like a tooth. I've never seen a jackrabbit, I love it's big ears.

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  47. lovely
    what nice ones are with their big ears

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  48. Greetings from the desert somewhere in the middle of Bryce and Zion Canyons! Those ears are incredible. We only saw mule deer this trip. Big ears too. I hope my ears don't start to grow. Unfortunately, we're heading home today.

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  49. Heisann, wonder what we would look like if we humans had such large ears.
    Funny!
    Better hearing???
    Nice shots and wonderful light.

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  50. Hei! Fantastic pictures of the "jackass rabbits" Happy new week!

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  51. Wow, what big ears! Love your sky shots.

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  52. What a fine specimen of lepus californicus! Do they always stand so tall on those legs, or was he on tiptoe to see you better? I didn't know the history of the name jackrabbit, so thanks for educating us. Fabulous closeups - love them!

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  53. Whenever I have visited the southwestern desert regions of the continent I have always enjoyed seeing Jackrabbits, and they seem quite emblematic of the area to me.

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  54. Love the night skies! I vote for them being giants bent knees.

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  55. Wonderful photos - love the backlit ears!

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  56. What big ears... indeed! Funny critters.

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  57. Oh my gosh, I don't know where to begin! It was like I was tagging along, right behind you trying to keep up with your adventure, and enthusiasm!! Wow. Breathtaking...beautiful....a virtual wonderland. I especially loved the lighting on the thistle. I lived in Tucson for over a decade, so I know how great each season brings different beauty along with yes...hot AND cold.

    Fabulous. [oh, and I never would have thought about the 'original' hidden valley.]

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  58. Excellent shots of the Hare. Love them ears. I think the roks look like the Jack Rabbit Ears--Lol
    MB

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  59. 3 and 4 photos of the rabbit are stunning. I love the sunshine through the ears and My Oh My what big ears he has... I am surprised he waited for you to get the shots.

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