The Jackalope

Description of Species

Lepus antilopinae (formerly "L. artiodactyla" is a medium height, four footed, antlered mammal with large ears and eyes. Large, continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower must be kept short by gnawing. The tail is small and tufted with white fur. Fur covering the body of the specimen is thick, soft and white to grey with brown and black tips. Most of their digestion takes place in their large intestine and cecum. In rabbits, the cecum is about 10 times bigger than the stomach, and it, along with the large intestine, makes up roughly 40% of the rabbit's digestive tract.

Flying Killer Jackalope (Lepus artiodactyla phasianus or Lepus talopus-calopus [from Heraldry]). Flying jackalopes orignate from Wall, South Dakota, and are characterized by wings and a feathered tail.

Nomenclature

Antelabbit; Aunt Benny; Wyoming Thistled Hare; Deerbunnie; or Stagbunny, in the United States.

Habitat

The Jackalope are native of the arid Western Plains and Rocky Mountain Regions of the United States. They are more numerous in areas of higher electrical disturbances and tornados. (See: Breeding and Mating, below).

What can it all mean? Jackalopes at Wall Drug.

Appearance in the Wild

The extremely shy and elusive animals are dangerous if approached, having sharp horns like its ancestors, horned four legged ruminants "haunting the banks of the Euphrates, very savage, hard to catch and having long saw-like horns capable of cutting down trees".

These most elusive of animals can convincingly imitate any sound, including the human voice. It uses this ability to elude pursuers, chiefly by using phrases such as "There he goes! That way!"

A jackalope may be caught by putting a flask of whiskey out at night. The jackalope will drink its fill of whiskey and its intoxication will make it easier to hunt. In some parts of the United States it is said that jackalope meat has a taste similar to lobster.

Breeding and Mating

L. artiodactyla is a hybrid resultant from interbreeding of the pygmy-deer and a species of "killer-rabbit". Jackalopes will only breed during electrical storms including hail, explaining its rarity. Female jackalopes can be milked as they sleep belly up and that the milk can be used for a variety of medicinal purposes.

[[image:|Jackalope at the 'Prairie Dog Town' museum in Oakley, KS. n.d.]] North Marolina Ammunition Plant.

A Killer Hare from an illuminated manuscript.

Plate from Animalia Qvadrvpedia et Reptilia (Terra), 1580, showing a horned hare.

History

Euprates and European jackalopes are currently being researched by Museum staff.

The Skvader (Tetrao lepus pseudo-hybridus rarissimus L.) is a Swedish biological specimen prepared in 1918 by the taxidermist Rudolf Granberg and is permanently displayed at the museum at Norra Berget in Sundsvall. It has the forequarters and hindlegs of a hare (Lepus), and the back, wings and tail of a female wood grouse (Tetrao urogallus).

Growths of Horns on Rabbits

Mounted cottontail rabbit at the Museum of Natural History at the University of Kansas. It was caught near Topeka and has a severe infection of the ''Shope papillomavirus''. Photo by Heather York.

European Equivalents and Potential Origins

"Wolpertinger" (Crisensus bavaricus) also called "Wolperdinger", "Poontinger" or "Woiperdinger", Bavaria), or Raurackl.

External Links

http://www.sudftw.com/jackcon.htm