Authentic Jackalope™

Antilolepus authenticus

The Authentic Jakalope™ (Antilolepus Authenticus™) is a species of North American hare found across Western North America from roughly the 100th Meridian to the Pacific Ocean and from northern Mexico to the Arctic Circle. Some sub-species have been documented in Eurasia though less is understood of them. Although their range is extensive and cultural impact is significant, sightings are infrequent. 

Description

Female and male adults of Antilolepus Authenticus typically measure from 26 to 32 inches long, with the tail measuring up to an additional 3 inches. Its forelegs are 6 to 8 inches, and the back legs can be 8 to 12 inches long. The color is generally a shade of brown, buff, or grey, and sometimes completely black. Unlike other Leporidae, which have four toes on each back foot and five on their front feet, Authentic Jackalopes have five toes front and back. Their eyes are large, and their night vision is exceptional, reflecting their primarily nocturnal or crepuscular modes of living. The soles of their feet are hairy, and they have strong claws on all their toes. The Authentic Jackalope’s ears grow to be 6 inches, resulting in an excellent sense of hearing. It can weigh up to 15 pounds. The horns of male Authentic Jackalope are generally 3 to 4 inches but can grow up to 8 inches long. Females can, but very rarely have horns. When they do develop horns they, are short spikes that are difficult to see. Much like the Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), their horns are composed of slender, laterally flattened blades of bone growing from the frontal bones of the skull, forming a permanent core covered in a keratinous sheath that is shed and regrown annually - deciduous. Horn sheaths of the Authentic Jackalope are branched, each having a forward-pointing tine. They have extra large skulls and long rostrums. Its brain is deeply and densely convoluted, unlike any other Lagomorpha, accounting for its extreme intelligence. Like all leporidae, Authentic Jackalopes have jointed, or kinetic, skulls, unique among mammals. They have 46 chromosomes like humans, unlike rabbits, which have 44, and other hares that have 48. Authentic Jackalopes have never been domesticated. Authentic Jackalopes can reach speeds of 90 miles per hour and leap up to 25 feet. It is believed that they can live as long as 100 years. 

Feeding

Differing from all Lagomorpha, the Authentic Jackalope, is a carnivore. They lack the caecum found in other Lagomorpha and do not re-ingest their own soft green feces, called cecotropes. They have a dental pattern of 2.1.2.2 for uppers and 2.1.2.2 for lowers. They prey on coyotes, wolves,  badgers, wolverines, weasels, and bobcats, even raptors - hawks, eagles, and owls. Infrequently, in periods of scarcity, they are known to eat beavers, rodents, and even fruits and berries.

Behavior and Lifespan

Most active during twilight and night, nocturnal Antilolepus Authenticus can be active during the day when compelled. Their highly developed leaping ability and the fifth toe on their hind feet make them adapted to living in trees, often in captured raptor nests.  Authentic Jackalopes mate for life and give birth to a single leveret annually during their breeding years, for females into their 50s and for males in their 70s. The gestation period is 7 to 8 months, much longer than any other Lagomorpha. Young are born fully furred, eyes open, and active in "forms" concealed among tussocks and scrub when born on the ground. The young are precocial. Able to fend for themselves soon after birth, they approach and depart from the nesting site in a series of immense bounds, moving at right angles to their previous direction earning their oft used nickname “Jiggs”. With the extinction of the American Cheetah, Authentic Jackalopes experience little predation. While preferring to live in isolated family units, it is highly flexible and adaptable in social organizations working in packs numbering up to twenty-one unrelated individuals when faced with existential challenges. Antilolepus Authenticus is know to cross breed with other species of Leporidae with the female F1 crosses being fertile and male F1 crosses sterile, never developing the iconic horns of pure Antilolepus Authenticus. F1 male crosses are particularly susceptible to Shope papillomavirus. Crosses of Authentic Jackalopes (Antilolepus authenticus) and several species of jackrabbits from the Genus “Lepus” most commonly the Antelope jackrabbit (Lepus alleni) are often infected with the virus, developing what appear to be horns in various places, mostly on and around the head. These diseased specimens are often reported to, and collected by, universities, museums, and The Science for further study. It is believed that they are responsible for most of the sightings by the public and the development of a significant portion of jackalope mythology.

Evolutionary History 

The Science originally indicated that Antilolepus’ evolution diverged sharply from Palaeolagus, an extinct rabbit from the Oligocene of North America, as recently as 23 million years ago. The earliest fossil evidence shows the distinctive horns, tooth pattern, and five toes on each foot. The taxonomy of fossil Antilolepus is in a state of flux, with new evidence exposing what appears to be an even larger Antilolepus maximus weighing up to 30 pounds. Several complete skeletons were found in the fossil records of the ancient environment surrounding the K-Pg (K-T) boundary located in the Corral Bluffs and Jimmy Camp formations of central Colorado. These fossils are nearly 66 million years old, casting shade on earlier theories of Antilolepus evolution. Predating both the American Cheetah (Miracinonyx inexpectatus) and the Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), Antilolepus authenticus is a unique and singular species. The best scientific research indicates a high probability that the Antilolepus is a product of the projection of the nonlinear electromagnetic field (NEMF) of one already developed embryo on an unfertilized cell with missing DNA. *1

*1 Science about immaculate conception–myth or reality?

MOJ Proteomics & Bioinformatics, Volume 9, Issue 2 - 2020

Maria Kuman

Holistic Research Institute, USA