Black jackrabbit

The black jackrabbit, Lepus insularis, also known as the black hare or Espiritu Santo jackrabbit, is a hare native to Mexico that lives only on Espiritu Santo, an uninhabited island in the Gulf of California off Baja California. Its whole range covers only about 95 square kilometres, the area of the island, but it is common over much of the island and the population appears to be stable. Large predators are absent there, and it shares its habitat with the Espiritu Santo antelope squirrel, spiny pocket mouse, cactus mouse, desert woodrat and ring-tailed cat. The island is protected by the Mexican government as part of the Islas del Golfo de California protected area. The IUCN lists the species as vulnerable because of its restricted range, the chief threats are introduced species and human disturbance of its habitat, and some authorities regard it as a subspecies of the black-tailed jackrabbit.