Baby Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Desert cottontail or jackrabbit? Rabbit or hare? These were the questions at Tucson Wildlife Center this week. Found alone and on a sidewalk in an urban area, concerned residents brought this tiny black-tailed jackrabbit to the Center for evaluation. TWC’s wildlife care team quickly began giving the baby fluids to combat dehydration, then started feeding him a specialized formula that mimics his mother’s milk and a mixture of dandelion greens, rich in vitamins and minerals.
Both desert cottontails and black-tailed jackrabbits are commonly found in Tucson and its surrounding desert habitats … but baby cottontails are far more often patients at TWC than baby jackrabbits. While sharing the same geographical area, these species exhibit notable differences in behavior, diet, and habitat preferences. Cottontails are true rabbits, while jackrabbits are hares. Adult desert cottontails typically weigh 2-3 pounds, with a rounded body and shorter ears and legs. Their fur is a mix of brown and gray with a white underside and a distinctive white fluffy tail. Black-tailed jackrabbits have longer legs and ears and weigh 3-6 pounds. Their fur is also brown and gray but with a black stripe on the tail and the tips of the ears.
Desert cottontail kits are born blind, hairless, and helpless. The mother creates a shallow, grass-lined nest hidden in dense vegetation or burrows, where the babies stay for 2-3 weeks before they begin to explore. Black-tailed jackrabbit leverets are born with fur, open eyes, and the ability to move around shortly after birth. The mother does not build a true nest but gives birth in a shallow depression lined with grass. The young are more independent and can follow the mother within a few days. Once our tiny patient is old enough to take care of itself, it will be released into a resource-rich area where other black-tailed jackrabbits have been spotted. If you would like to help patients like this young jackrabbit, click the button below to donate.
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