| Tamaulipas jackrabbit | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Lagomorpha |
| Family: | Leporidae |
| Genus: | Lepus |
| Species: | L. altamirae |
| Binomial name | |
| Lepus altamirae E. W. Nelson, 1904 | |
| Synonyms | |
Lepus californicus altamirae | |
The Tamaulipas jackrabbit (Lepus altamirae), also known as the Tamaulipas white-sided jackrabbit, is a species of hare endemic to the Gulf Coast of Mexico. [1]
It was formerly thought to be a subspecies of the black-tailed jackrabbit (L. californicus), but genetic analysis found it to represent a distinct species that was actually most closely related to the Tehuantepec jackrabbit (L. flavigularis), with this clade being sister to a clade containing the black-tailed and antelope (L. alleni) jackrabbits, with the white-sided jackrabbit (L. callotis) being basal to both clades. It was thus reinstated as a separate species, and these results were later followed by the American Society of Mammalogists. The distribution of L. callotis, L. flavigularis, L. alleni, and L. altamirae in fragmented tropic-subtropic habitats seems to reflect a group that once had a wider range throughout the Americas prior to the Pleistocene, with climate change and the arrival of the black-tailed jackrabbit isolating these species in tropic-subtropic habitats. [1] [2]
It has a very small range, being found from the coastal plain of southern Tamaulipas south to extreme north Veracruz and west to the eastern border of San Luis Potosí. It is an endemic of the Tamaulipan mezquital ecosystem. The first specimens of the species were found in 1898 in a scrubland consisting primarily of guava (Psidium guajava), mesquites (Prosopis juliflora), acacias, and cactuses of various species. No other specimens have been collected since, and it has been feared that the species has at least suffered a significant reduction in range similar to that faced by L. flavigularis and L. callotis, with the latter species being replaced over most of its range by L. californicus. However, a putative individual was photographed with a trail camera near the Laguna Madre in 2016, with the images being posted to Facebook and Twitter. [2] In addition, another putative individual was photographed in Soto la Marina in 2014, with the images being posted to iNaturalist and initially identified as a black-tailed jackrabbit. [3] These sightings indicate that L. altamirae may still be extant despite the threats it faces. [2] In 2022, a paper reporting on photographic sightings in 2016 and 2021 confirmed the persistence of the species, and also found it to inhabit northeastern San Luis Potosi, a region where it was previously not known; the presence of the species here may be related to land use change. [4]
Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus Lepus. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The genus includes the largest lagomorphs. Most are fast runners with long, powerful hind legs, and large ears to dissipate body heat. Hare species are native to Africa, Eurasia and North America. A hare less than one year old is called a "leveret". A group of hares is called a "husk", a "down", or a "drove".
Leporidae is the family of rabbits and hares, containing over 70 species of extant mammals in all. The Latin word Leporidae means "those that resemble lepus" (hare). Together with the pikas, the Leporidae constitute the mammalian order Lagomorpha. Leporidae differ from pikas in that they have short, furry tails and elongated ears and hind legs.
The white-tailed jackrabbit, also known as the prairie hare and the white jack, is a species of hare found in western North America. Like all hares and rabbits, it is a member of the family Leporidae of order Lagomorpha. It is a solitary individual except where several males court a female in the breeding season. Litters of four to five young are born in a form, a shallow depression in the ground, hidden among vegetation. This jackrabbit has two described subspecies: L. townsendii townsendii occurring west of the Rocky Mountains and L. townsendii campanius occurring east of the Rocky Mountains.
The white-sided jackrabbit, also known as the Mexican hare, is a jackrabbit found in a limited range in North America, from southern New Mexico to northwestern and central Mexico. The animal is considered threatened in New Mexico, with its numbers in decline in recent years; its presence is uncertain in Arizona.
The antelope jackrabbit is a species of North American hare found in southern Arizona and northwestern Mexico that occupies dry desert areas.
The Tehuantepec jackrabbit is a jackrabbit endemic to Mexico.
Agkistrodon taylori is a species of venomous snake, a pitviper (Crotalinae) found only in northeastern Mexico. The standardized names are Taylor's cantil (English) and Metapil (Spanish), although it is sometimes called the ornate cantil as well as several other colloquial names. It was named in honor of American herpetologist Edward Harrison Taylor.
The narrow-skulled pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to western Mexico, living west of the Sierra Madre Occidental crest.
The black jackrabbit is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. Endemic to Mexico, its only known location is Espiritu Santo Island in the Gulf of California. The IUCN has listed this species as a "vulnerable species" because of its restricted range. This taxon is regarded by some authorities as being a subspecies of the black-tailed jackrabbit, found on the mainland of Mexico.
The black-tailed jackrabbit, also known as the American desert hare, is a common hare of the western United States and Mexico, where it is found at elevations from sea level up to 10,000 ft (3,000 m). Reaching a length around 2 ft (61 cm), and a weight from 3 to 6 lb, the black-tailed jackrabbit is one of the largest North American hares. Black-tailed jackrabbits occupy mixed shrub-grassland terrains. Their breeding depends on the location; it typically peaks in spring, but may continue all year round in warm climates. Young are born fully furred with eyes open; they are well camouflaged and are mobile within minutes of birth, thus females do not protect or even stay with the young except during nursing. The average litter size is around four, but may be as low as two and as high as seven in warm regions.
Basaseachic Falls National Park is a national park located in the western side of the state of Chihuahua in the heart of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range. The park is named after Basaseachic Falls the second tallest waterfall in Mexico with a height of 246 meters (853 ft). Basaseachic Falls empties into Candameña Canyon which was carved by the Basaseachic River over millions of years. The park is known for its pine-oak forest, rock formations, and scenic views from high cliffs. Cliffs in the park reach an impressive height of 1,640 meters (5,380 ft).
The Texas black-tailed jackrabbit also known as the Texan black-tailed jackrabbit, Texian black-tailed jackrabbit, Texas jackrabbit,Texian hare, or the Texan jackrabbit, is a subspecies of the black-tailed jackrabbit that is native to parts of Texas, and the southwest United States, northern Mexico, and some occasional parts of central Mexico.