8/29/2007

AGFC seeks jackrabbit sightings for survey

LITTLE ROCK – Most people see cottontail rabbits on a regular basis, and swamp rabbits are common, too. But jackrabbits, also native to Arkansas, are scarce.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is asking anyone who spots a jackrabbit to report it. A Web site – www.agfc.com/jackrabbit – makes it easy. Or call Blake Sasse at (800) 364-4263.

If you see a jackrabbit, submit information to the form on the Web site, including date of the sighting, location and habitat. Sightings need not be recent; sightings from the distant past also are helpful. The Web site includes drawings of cottontails, swamp rabbits and jackrabbits for identification.

Jackrabbits stand out from cottontails and swamp rabbits. They are considerably larger and can jump as high as 3 feet and as far as 9 feet.

The black-tailed jackrabbit once was found across northwestern and western Arkansas. It was common in Benton, Crawford and Washington counties in the mid-1950s, but has become rare in Arkansas, probably because of changes in farming practices. Jackrabbits thrive in prairies, pastures, hay fields and orchards, and are most likely to be seen early and late in the day.

Cottontails and swamp rabbits are game animals in Arkansas, but jackrabbits are not.