Jackalope Habitat Suitability for Conservation in Wyoming

The Jackalope is a unique species resembling the closely related jackrabbit, but with powerful horns resembling those of an antelope. Their overall size is much larger than typical jackrabbits, with some as large as 3 feet tall. First discovered in Douglas, Wyoming in 1932, the Jackalope quickly garnered attention from locals.

Jackalopes are known as a myth internationally, but are most beloved in Douglas, Wyoming. They are a popular target for hunting since their antlered heads are a sought-after household decoration.

Jackalopes are native to the western United States, particularly in the state of Wyoming. They prefer dry, desert-like climates with short herbaceous shrubbery and grasses scattered about.

Due to their surprising physical appearance, taxidermied Jackalopes are sought globally for decoration. Thus, hunting pressure on Jackalopes has become prevalent since their initial discovery and has intensified over time.

Based on typical activity patterns of the closely related jackrabbits, a jackalope's home range is from 1 - 3 square kilometers (Smith, 1990).

As jackalopes are part antelope, the ideal jackalope density can be estimated using the current antelope population. In Wyoming, there are close to 380,000 antelopes while the area of Wyoming is around 157,577 square kilometers. Thus, we can estimate a healthy population density to be 2-3 jackalopes per square kilometer.

• Jackrabbits infected with the Shope papilloma virus can grow horn-like tumors, often leading locals to mistakenly identify them as Jackalopes
• Jackalopes can talk and sing, mimicking humans
• Jackalopes can run up to 90 mph, making them the fastest mammal on earth
• Jackalope milk is thought to cure most known illnesses
• Jackalopes are a fan of liquor, particularly whiskey
• A hunting license is required for non-residents to hunt jackalopes; you can only hunt them on June 31st between sunrise and sunset

Because of hunting pressure, Jackalope population is at risk and new habitat protection policies are necessary to protect this majestic creature. We created a habitat suitability model designed to identify the most suitable habitat areas for Jackalopes in Wyoming. Politicians in Wyoming can use our findings to create protected habitat areas for Jackalopes before hunting pressure leads this species to extinction.

What areas of Wyoming should be prioritized for Jackalope conservation based on the suitability of the habitat for Jackalopes?

We hope that our research will inform decisions by policy makers in Wyoming who have the ability to create legally protected areas for jackalopes and/or restrict their hunting. This may include the Wyoming Game and Fish department, the National Park Service, and local government representatives.

Our geographical study region is Wyoming, USA, where Jackalopes were originally found. Jackalopes remain a culturally significant figure in this state, and extinction of the species would be particularly detrimental to Wyoming culture and ecotourism. The map below depicts our study area, the state of Wyoming, USA.

Precipitation, land cover, human population density, proximity to campgrounds, and hunting lands are the main factors that we consider to be important to Jackalope habitat suitability, based on our previous research.

This map represents the land cover classified as shrubland or grassland in Wyoming. Dark green areas symbolize areas identified as shrubland or grassland, while yellow areas signify all other land cover types. Jackalopes live in areas with shrub or grass cover, so they are more likely to be found in shrublands or grasslands than other habitat types (Wyoming Game & Fish Department, n.d.). As depicted by this map, a majority of land cover in Wyoming is suitable for Jackalopes.

This map represents precipitation levels in Wyoming in December of 2019. Darker regions represent areas with higher levels of precipitation. Jackalopes prefer dryer areas, so areas with lower levels of precipitation, as depicted in light yellow, is preferred by Jackalopes (Danger Ranger Bear, 2020). According to this map, the most suitable areas of Wyoming based on monthly precipitation fall in the central and eastern portions of the state.

This map represents the human population density in each Zip Code Area within Wyoming. Darker colors signify denser human populations. Jackalopes occur in areas with less human disturbance, so areas with less dense human populations will be more suitable (Ferguson & Atamian, 2012). As seen in this map, Wyoming is a sparsely populated state and thus, the majority of the state is suitable to Jackalopes in terms of population density.

This map represents hunting lands and non-hunting lands in Wyoming. Darker colors signify non-hunting areas, while lighter colors represent publicly managed and privately owned land that is accessible for hunting. The major threat to the Jackalope is hunting for the taxonomy industry, so areas that are accessible for hunting are less suitable for Jackalopes (Geller, 2018).

This map represents the proximity to a campground of areas within Wyoming. Darker areas represent higher proximity to campgrounds, whereas lighter areas represent distance from campgrounds. Jackalopes prefer to live near campgrounds where they can access their favorite treat, whiskey, and partake in one of their favorite activites: singing along with campers as they sing campfire songs (All That's Interesting, 2022). Thus, areas at least in travelling distance to nearby campgrounds will be most suitable to Jackalopes.

The following table details the layers created for each of the five factors that we determined, based on our research, to be major contributors to Jackalope habitat suitability. The source, year, and resolution are noted for each layer. The process used to create each later is described in the "Preparation & Use" category.

1. Prepare each dataset for the raster calculation
   1. Convert vector feature layers to rasters (Polygon to raster)
   2. Reclassify again if necessary (invert values 1-5 -> 5-1 for layers such as precipitation where lower is better)
   3. Resample and Snap rasters together to make sure all rasters are aligned and of the same size
   4. Run raster calculation with decided weights for each layer
2. Adding area and maximum population
   1. Create new field “Area” and Calculate Geometry in squared km
   2. Get maximum supported population by multiplying Area by 3 into new field
   3. Exclude areas that are smaller than the home range
3. Get area and supported population  of all suitable habitats and number of suitable areas
   1. Select by attribute for gridecode > 3
   2. Dissolve based on grid code
   3. Calculate area in squared kilometers
   4. Multiply area by 3 to get maximum supported population in total

• 1,345 suitable or highly suitable habitats (209,880 km ²  suitable/251,042km ²  total)
  • Suitable: 741 areas (95,780.58 km ² , 287,256 jackalopes)
  • Highly Suitable: 604 areas (114,100.86 km ² , 342,234 jackalopes)
• 83.6% of Wyoming area is suitable
• Maximum supported Jackalope population in Wyoming: 629,490

• Limit the number of hunting licenses distributed: fewer hunters looking for Jackalopes decreases the threat and may induce population growth

• Limit alcohol sales near campgrounds and enforce alcoholic beverage cleanup: Prevents Jackalopes from approaching hunting grounds, which would make them an easy target for hunting

• Restrict development on large grassland areas: this preserves the Jackalope's habitat and allows it to stay away from dense human populations

More focus should be placed on implementing these policies in the eastern half of Wyoming since this is where the Jackalope's habitat suitability is the greatest. Focus on protecting grasslands in this region that are near dense human populations and hunting grounds, which are the biggest threats to the Jackalope.

Implementing these policies will greatly reduce the risk of hunters attacking Jackalopes, allowing both humans and Jackalopes to peacefully coexist. These policies can be sustained simply by reporting how many licenses are sold, maintaining clean hunting grounds, and enforcing a fine or jail time on those who break these restrictions.