Lepus antilocapra: The Fearsome Jackalope

If you live in North America, you are probably already familiar with the mythological creature called the jackalope. Jackalope is a portmanteau of the words “jackrabbit” and “antelope,” as the jackalope is allegedly a hybrid of a hair and pronghorn antelope.

Many skillful taxidermist have propagated the myth of the Jackalope by grafting deer antlers onto the remains of hares. The original jackalope hoax trophy occured in the 1930s in Wyoming. While the jackrabbit is known throughout most of North America, and in other parts of the world as well, it is particularly popular in the American west. Legends of the old West spread tales of the jackalope as a fearsome creature that mimics human voices, and can be lured with whiskey. It is also said that jackalopes only breed during lightning flashes.

While widely known as only a creature of myth, there are people who will swear they saw the sight of antlers zooming along on the head of a hare as it hops along the mesa.

"Unlucky Jackalope" (CC BY 2.0) by CGP Grey