White-tailed Jackrabbit

Lepus townsendii

The White-tailed Jackrabbit hides during the day, coming out at night to feed. Traveling in 12- to 20-foot leaps, this jackrabbit can maintain a speed of 35 miles per hour, and reach 45 mph for short periods. When cornered, it will swim, dog-paddling with all four feet. Males, called bucks, fight furiously during the mating season, mostly by kicking out with their hindfeet and biting when they can.

Look For : A gray-white jackrabbit with long ears and legs and a white tail.

Length : Body 20-22" long.

Habitat : Grasslands and farmlands.

Range : Western states, but south only to Utah, Colorado, and Kansas, and east to Minnesota and Iowa.