| Jackalope | |
|---|---|
 Photograph of a Jackalope model. | |
| Cryptid Information | |
| AKA | N/A |
| Year First Seen | N/A |
| Biological Class | Mammal |
| Authenticity Status | Hoax |
| Location | North America |
The Jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore (a so-called "fearsome critter") described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns or deer antlers and sometimes a pheasant's tail (and often hind legs). The word jackalope is a portmanteau of "jackrabbit" and "antalope", an archaic spelling of antelope.
Explanations
Genetic Mutations
It is possible that the tales of jackalopes were inspired by sightings of rabbits infected with the Shope papilloma virus, which causes the growth of horn- and antler-like tumors in various places on the rabbit's head and body. However, the concept of an animal hybrid occurs in many cultures, for example as the griffin and the chimera.
Indeed, the term chimera has become the categorical term for such composites within the English language.
A common southwestern U.S. species of jackrabbit is called the antelope jackrabbit, because of its ability to run quickly like an antelope.
Hoax
It is easily imagined that this species might be humorously misconstrued to possess horns and represent a jackrabbit-antelope cross.