Creature Feature: Jackalope
For this week's Creature Feature, I thought it might be good to start with some local lore. Growing up, we all knew about the Jackalope. It's said to be a cross between a jackrabbit and an antelope, which means it looks like a rabbit with antlers.
This Jackalope obviously has deer antlers. There is another species that has antelope antlers, but I couldn't find a photo.
Interestingly, stories of horned rabbits extend as far back in time to 17th century Europe, and possibly even further than that.
Local lore states that, while mostly extinct worldwide, a small pocket of Jackalope live in the Western United States. I grew up thinking they were only from Wyoming.
Jackalopes are said to sing harmony with cowboys in a lovely tenor voice, move at speeds near 90 mph, and sleep belly up. If you are able to milk a Jackalope while it is sleeping, the milk has medicinal properties. However, Jackalopes are aggressive and will fiercely attack with its antlers, consequently earning the name "warrior rabbit."
The origins of the Jackalope are varied, but there is a virus, Shopes pappiloma, that causes growths on rabbits which resemble (loosely) horns. The poor bunnies looks so sad I didn't want the picture here, but if you are interested in seeing what the virus looks like, here is a link.
Have you heard of Jackalope before?Do you have Jackalope where you live?
This Jackalope obviously has deer antlers. There is another species that has antelope antlers, but I couldn't find a photo.
Interestingly, stories of horned rabbits extend as far back in time to 17th century Europe, and possibly even further than that.
Local lore states that, while mostly extinct worldwide, a small pocket of Jackalope live in the Western United States. I grew up thinking they were only from Wyoming.
Jackalopes are said to sing harmony with cowboys in a lovely tenor voice, move at speeds near 90 mph, and sleep belly up. If you are able to milk a Jackalope while it is sleeping, the milk has medicinal properties. However, Jackalopes are aggressive and will fiercely attack with its antlers, consequently earning the name "warrior rabbit."
The origins of the Jackalope are varied, but there is a virus, Shopes pappiloma, that causes growths on rabbits which resemble (loosely) horns. The poor bunnies looks so sad I didn't want the picture here, but if you are interested in seeing what the virus looks like, here is a link.
Have you heard of Jackalope before?Do you have Jackalope where you live?
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