Tehuantepec jackrabbit

Lepus flavigularis is a medium-sized hare, ranging in length from 22.2 to 24.0 inches (56.5 to 61 cm). The chest and neck are yellowish in color, and it can be distinguished from other species by two black stripes that run from the base of the ears to the nape, and by its white flanks. This same coloration of the nape is also noted in several subspecies of the black-tailed jackrabbit. The tail measures from 2.6 to 3.7 inches (65 to 95 mm) and is black above and white underneath. Adults weigh from 3.7 to 6.4 pounds (1.7 to 2.9 kg). The ears range in size from 4.3 to 4.7 inches (110 to 120 mm) and the hind foot from 4.5 to 5.3 inches (115 to 134 mm). Its skull is elongated, and among the Mexican hares, its tympanic bullae (bone structures that enclose the middle and inner ear) are the smallest.

The Tehuantepec jackrabbit resides in tropical dry savannas dominated by native grasses in the genera Bouteloua and Paspalum with an overstory of sparse bushes of nanche (Byrsonima crassifolia), and scattered trees of morro (genus Crescentia). Generally, it tends towards habitats without dense vegetation, but can be flexible depending on the available resources. It is also found in coastal grassy dunes alongside the plants Opuntia decumbens, Opuntia tehuantepecana, and Sabal mexicana. It occurs from sea level up to an elevation of c. 2,185 feet (666 m). It is endemic to Oaxaca, Mexico, and is only found along savannas and grassy dunes on the shores of the salt water lagoons known as Laguna Inferior and Laguna Superior connected to the Gulf of Tehuantepec in the Istmo de Tehuantepec region. Three small populations persist isolated from each other. It is not sympatric with any other hares. The former distribution of the Tehuantepec jackrabbit is estimated to have extended along the Mexican Pacific Coast on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec from Salina Cruz in Oaxaca to Tonalá in Chiapas, an area of perhaps only 190 square miles (500 km2). As of 2024, it is probably locally extinct in the Chiapas region.

Home ranges of Lepus flavigularis overlap with one or more individuals regardless of sex and age, and the home range size is about 50 ha with core areas of 9 ha for adult jackrabbits. The Tehuantepec jackrabbit is nocturnal and crepuscular, and spends much of its time feeding. It is not territorial, and while not grazing on plants, it grooms itself and socializes. During the day, it rests among grasses, shrubs, and under nopales either alone or in groups of up to 12 individuals. The Tehuantepec jackrabbit shares its habitat with several other mammals, including the eastern cottontail, the nine-banded armadillo, hooded and western hog-nosed skunks, the Virginia opossum, the gray mouse opossum, and the common raccoon. Predators of the Tehuantepec jackrabbit and its young are domestic dogs, snakes (particularly Neotropical whip and western lyre snakes), domestic cats, coyotes, and gray foxes. There is little to no competition between the jackrabbit and the Eastern cottontail in regions where the two species are sympatric. The nematode Pelecitus meridionaleporinus (family Onchocercidae) is known to parasitize the Tehuantepec jackrabbit by infecting subcutaneous tissue at the base of the ears.

Diet. Lepus flavigularis prefers different plant species depending on whether it is the wet or dry season. …