Specimens examined.—San Bernardino County: 2 mi. NW Upland, 1600 ft., 3 (PC).
Lepus californicus deserticola Mearns
California Jack Rabbit
There was sign of jack rabbits along the desert slope of the San Gabriels up to about 6700 feet, one-half mile west of Big Pines. They were fairly common in the Joshua tree belt, occurred less commonly in the juniper belt, and were present locally in small numbers in the pinyon-juniper association.
The population seemed to be at a low ebb from 1948 to 1952, when field work was done on the desert slope. I often hiked for an hour or more on the desert or juniper-covered benches without seeing a jack rabbit. The species was commoner in washes where as many as eleven were noted in two hours' hiking.
In December, 1951, below Graham Canyon, the leaves on large areas of many nearly recumbent Joshua trees had been gnawed down to their bases, and jack rabbit feces covered the ground next to these gnawings. Probably the Joshua tree is an emergency food used by the rabbits only when other food is scarce.
In years when the population of jack rabbits is not low they serve as a major food for coyotes. In the Joshua tree belt below Mescal Canyon, jack rabbit remains were fairly common in coyote feces, and tracks repeatedly showed where some coyote had pursued a jack rabbit for a short distance. A large male bobcat trapped in the juniper belt in Graham Canyon had deer hair and jack rabbit remains in its stomach.
Specimens examined.—Total, 7, distributed as follows: Los Angeles County: 6 mi. E and 1 mi. S Llano, 3500 ft., 4; Mescal Canyon, 4800 ft., 3.
Sylvilagus audubonii sanctidiegi (Miller)