Taxonomy and Distribution
Although seventeen subspecies are recognized, this number may be excessive. Using cluster analysis of anatomical characters, Dixon and others found that black-tailed jackrabbit subspecies separated into two distinct groups that are geographically separated west and east of the Colorado Rocky Mountains and the Colorado River. They suggested only two infrataxa are warranted: the western subspecies L. c. californicus and the eastern subspecies L. c. texianus.
Black-tailed jackrabbit is the most widely distributed jackrabbit (Lepus spp.) in North America. Native black-tailed jackrabbit populations occur from central Washington east to Missouri and south to Baja California Sur and Zacatecas. Black-tailed jackrabbit distribution is currently expanding eastward in the Great Plains at the expense of white-tailed jackrabbit. Black-tailed jackrabbit has been successfully introduced in southern Florida and along the coastline in Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia.
Distribution of subspecies occurring entirely or partially in the United States is as follows:
- Lepus californicus altamirae (Nelson)
- L. c. asellus (G. S. Miller)
- L. c. bennettii (Gray) – coastal southern California to Baja California Norte
- L. c. californicus (Gray) – coastal Oregon to coastal and Central Valley California
- L. c. curti (E. R. Hall)
- L. c. deserticola (Mearns) – southern Idaho to Sonora
- L. c. ememicus (J. A. Allen) – central Arizona to Sonora
- L. c. festinus (Nelson)
- L. c. magdalenae (Nelson)
- L. c. martirensis (J. M. Stowell)
- L. c. melanotis (Mearns) – South Dakota to Iowa, Missouri, and central Texas
- L. c. merriamai (Mearns) – south-central and southeastern Texas to Tamaulipas
- L. c. richardsonii (Bachman) – central California
- L. c. sheldoni (W. H. Burt)
- L. c. texianus (Waterhouse) – southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado to Zacatecas
- L. c. wallawalla (Merriam) – eastern Washington to northeastern California and northwestern Nevada
- L. c. xanti (Thomas)
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