How to identify it
Lanky hare, 47-63 cm long, with very long ears (10-13 cm) and long hind legs. [1][2]
Black stripe down the centre of the back, a black rump patch, and a tail black on top. [1][2]
Sexes look alike; females larger. [1][2]
Compared with the white-tailed jackrabbit: White-tailed jackrabbit's tail is always white, without the black tail top and back stripe. [1][2]
Compared with the eastern cottontail: Cottontails are smaller with shorter ears and legs; jackrabbits have ears, hind legs and feet very large in proportion to the body. [1][2]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- White-tailed jackrabbit · Lepus townsendii
- Desert cottontail · Sylvilagus audubonii
- Eastern cottontail · Sylvilagus floridanus
Where it lives
Desert scrub, prairie, short-grass rangeland, dunes and farmland from sea level to about 3,800 m. [1][2]
How it behaves
Mainly nocturnal; rests by day in shallow scraped depressions ('forms') under bushes and is inactive in hot afternoons. [1][2]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Arizona — hunting · 2026-2027 Arizona Hunting Regulations
- California — hunting · 2026-2027 California Mammal Hunting Regulations (updated July 1, 2026)
- Colorado — hunting · 2 CCR 406-3 Chapter W-3 Furbearers and Small Game, Except Migratory Birds (07/16/2026; eff. 2026-09-01)
- Idaho — hunting, trapping · Upland Game, Turkey & Furbearer 2026 & 2027 Seasons & Rules
- Nebraska — hunting, trapping · Small Game & Waterfowl Guide 2025-2026
- Nevada — hunting · Nevada 2026-2027 Small Game Hunting Regulations & Seasons (NDOW official guide, eRegulations-hosted)
- Oklahoma — hunting · Small Game Regulations
- Oregon — hunting, nuisance or unprotected take · 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations (official ODFW booklet, eRegulations host linked from myodfw.com)
- South Dakota — hunting, trapping · 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook
- Utah — hunting · 2026-27 Waterfowl, Upland Game and Turkey Guidebook
- Wyoming — hunting, trapping · Wyoming Statutes Title 23 (W.S. 23-1-101 definitions)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Southwestern United States and Mexico, east to Missouri and north to Washington, Idaho, Colorado and Nebraska, west to California and Baja California.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
- BIOLOGICALEastern Cottontail (Cottontail Rabbit)
Missouri Department of Conservation · reviewed 2026-09-30
Missouri Department of Conservation