Jackalope

The Origin of the Jackalope

The Jackalope is a prominent, whimsical creature of modern North American folklore, specifically associated with the American West. The name is a portmanteau of “jackrabbit” and “antelope” (specifically referring to the pronghorn, a North American ungulate).

While ancient mythologies of many cultures feature horned rabbits or hares (such as the lepus cornutus in medieval European and Persian texts, or the al-Mi’raj in Islamic poetry), the modern American Jackalope was famously popularized by the Herrick brothers (Douglas and Ralph) in Douglas, Wyoming, during the 1930s.

The First Jackalope

The story goes that the Herrick brothers, who possessed a keen sense of humor and some taxidermy skills, tossed a dead jackrabbit against a pair of deer antlers in their shop. Finding the accidental combination amusing, they attached the antlers to the rabbit and sold the very first taxidermy Jackalope to a local hotel in 1932.

The mounted “specimen” became an immediate sensation, sparking a massive tourist industry of Jackalope merchandise, postcards, and tall tales throughout the American West, particularly in Wyoming, South Dakota, and Texas.

The Folklore and Abilities

Like all good American tall tales, the mythology of the Jackalope quickly expanded far beyond a simple taxidermy trick:

• Human Mimicry: According to legend, Jackalopes possessed an uncanny ability to mimic the human voice perfectly. Cowboys sitting around campfires at night claimed they would often hear a Jackalope singing their songs back to them from out in the dark sagebrush.
• Whiskey Lure: They were said to be incredibly shy but fiercely aggressive if cornered, attacking cowboys with their sharp horns. The only reliable way to catch one was to leave out a bowl of whiskey at night. The creature would drink until intoxicated, making it easy to trap.
• Jackalope Milk: A common joke stated that the milk of a female Jackalope possessed immense medicinal qualities but was almost impossible to obtain due to the creature’s ferocity.

The Scientific Reality

Interestingly, there is a real-world biological explanation that likely inspired the ancient myths of horned rabbits. A viral infection called the Shope papillomavirus (CRPV) can infect wild rabbits, causing hard, keratinized tumors to grow on or near their heads, often closely resembling small horns. This real-life phenomenon almost certainly contributed to the enduring legend of the Jackalope.