Antelope jackrabbit
| Antelope jackrabbit | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Lagomorpha |
| Family: | Leporidae |
| Genus: | Lepus |
| Species: | L. alleni |
| Binomial name | |
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Lepus alleni Mearns, 1890 |
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| Antelope jackrabbit range | |
The antelope jackrabbit (Lepus alleni), found in Southern Arizona and Northwestern Mexico, is a species of North American hare. Within this range, it occupies dry desert areas. This species is placed in family Leporidae, which is within order Lagomorpha. Male and female antelope jackrabbits are identical in appearance. This species is large in size with long, pointed ears and a distinct coat coloration. The antelope jackrabbit has a white belly, light grey sides, a back peppered with black, and orange coloration on the neck and chest. It is similar to species like the Black-tailed Jackrabbit and White-sided Jackrabbit. It is most active during twilight (crepuscular) and nocturnal, but can be active during the day when conditions are favorable (heavy cloud coverage). It feeds on cacti, mesquite leaves, and other vegetation.
Fossil evidence places the genus Lepus in North America approximately 2.5 million years ago. A now extinct jackrabbit species, Lepus giganteus, was thought to exist in North America during this time. This species shared similar physical traits with the antelope jackrabbit, making it difficult to differentiate fossils of the two species. In a 2014 study, researchers hypothesized that L. giganteus served as a common ancestor to the antelope jackrabbit and black-tailed jackrabbit. The black-tailed jackrabbit coexists with the antelope jackrabbit and the two species maintain a sympatric relationship. In the same 2014 study, genetic analysis concluded that three Lepus species share a common white-sided jackrabbit ancestor: L. callotis (White-sided jackrabbit), L. alleni (antelope jackrabbit), and L. flavigularis (Tehuantepec jackrabbit). Based on this evidence, researchers also concluded that the black-tailed jackrabbit, though closely related to white-sided jackrabbits, exists in its own separate subclade.
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