HARE TODAY, WHERE TOMORROW? JACKRABBIT MOVEMENT AND HABITAT SELECTION IN CENTRAL WASHINGTON

Claire Frances Kurlychek

White-tailed (Lepus townsendii) and black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) were once among the most widely distributed lagomorphs in the United States. However, populations of both jackrabbit species have declined over the last half-century in much of the American West, including eastern Washington. Limited research on jackrabbit ecology in Washington has constrained the ability for land managers to identify key features and develop effective management strategies. To address these knowledge gaps, we investigated seasonal and diel movements and habitat selection by white-tailed jackrabbits in Douglas County and black-tailed jackrabbits at the Yakima Training Center and Hanford Reach. From January 2024- June 2025, we trapped and GPS-collared 40 black-tailed jackrabbits and 26 white-tailed jackrabbits and used integrated step selection models to examine how vegetation, landscape features, and terrain influenced movement behavior and habitat selection.Across sagebrush dominated landscapes, both species selected shrubland and grassland but consistently avoided areas associated with human infrastructure and recently restored grasslands. Older restored lands in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) were similarly selected as intact shrub-steppe, and roads were also selected, likely functioning as movement corridors. Step lengths were shorter in dense shrub cover than open grassland areas, roads, and fallow fields, indicating more localized movement in structurally complex vegetation. Across study areas, jackrabbits strongly selected for shrub cover with small canopy gaps, emphasizing the importance of fine-scale structural heterogeneity. White-tailed jackrabbits showed a stronger selection for areas near shrub edges at night and for annual and perennial grasses and forbs during the day compared to black-tailed jackrabbits. Jackrabbit movement patterns were strongly structured by diel period, with longer, more directionally persistent movements at night, consistent with nocturnal foraging and localized day use sites. Seasonal differences in movement were more pronounced in black-tailed jackrabbits, whereas white-tailed jackrabbits showed relatively consistent movement patterns across seasons, possibly reflecting site specific resource availability or species level adaptations. This study provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of jackrabbit movement and habitat selection in Washington. Our findings emphasize the importance of maintaining structurally heterogeneous sagebrush habitats and suggest that conservation actions focused on sagebrush obligates will also benefit both jackrabbit species. This information will assist state wildlife biologists to identify important habitat features and create effective surveys to map distributions and assess population abundance.

HARE TODAY, WHERE TOMORROW? JACKRABBIT MOVEMENT AND HABITAT SELECTION IN CENTRAL WASHINGTON

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