The desert cottontail grows to about 16-inches in length with four-inch ears and weighs roughly three pounds. He can commonly be found in brushlands, valleys and deserts throughout the southwest and sustains himself on fords, grasses and gardens, much like Peter Rabbit. The black-tailed jackrabbit also doesn’t turn color in the winter, remaining its grayish brown with black accents throughout the year. About two inches smaller and two pounds lighter, it is still a large rabbit with ears up to seven-inches long. The black-tailed jackrabbit looks much like the white-tailed jackrabbit except it is slightly smaller and its tail is black instead of white. Look for the jackrabbit in mountains, foothills and valleys in Northern Utah, but primarily in open areas of the higher mountains in Southern Utah. They also use their strong back legs to thump the ground to warn others of danger. At 26 inches in length and nine pounds, it is also the largest hare. In winter, the jackrabbit can turn entirely white to blend in with the snow. With even larger ears than other rabbits, its long front legs and strong back legs allow it to leap quickly when running from predators. In contrast, the white-tailed jackrabbit is a hare, the fastest of all rabbits. Look for it during the daytime throughout the year, accompanied by either of its two litters of up to five young, during the summer. Preferring to live above the tree line, it hides in rocky slopes. The American pika lives in the high mountains of the western U.S. The pika is a rabbits cousin, only much smaller and with round - not elongated - over sized ears. The fertile grasslands, woodsy forests and lots of streams allow these animals to flourish. Zion and the nearby region has created a good home for jackrabbits, pikas and cottontails.

Black tailed jack rabbit animal