Jackalope — Cryptid Encyclopedia

In 1932, Douglas Herrick and his brother Ralph returned from a hunting trip in Douglas, Wyoming and tossed a dead jackrabbit onto the floor of their taxidermy shop — right next to a set of small deer antlers. The rabbit slid against the antlers, and in that accidental moment, the Jackalope was born.

The Herrick brothers mounted the rabbit with the antlers attached, creating the first known Jackalope taxidermy mount. They sold it for ten dollars. It was the beginning of an American legend. Within years, mounted Jackalopes appeared in bars, lodges, and souvenir shops across the American West, and an elaborate mythology grew around them.

According to Western folklore, the Jackalope is a shy but aggressive jackrabbit sporting pronghorn antelope antlers. It can run at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour. It can mimic the human voice — cowboys on the range reportedly heard Jackalopes singing along with their campfire songs. The best way to catch one is to lure it with whiskey, for which it has an insatiable thirst. "A Jackalope can only be caught by putting a flask of whiskey out at night — it'll drink itself unconscious," goes the traditional advice.

The town of Douglas, Wyoming declared itself the "Jackalope Capital of the World" and issues official Jackalope hunting licenses — valid only on June 31st (a date that, of course, does not exist).

Remarkably, there is a kernel of biological truth to the Jackalope. The Shope papilloma virus can cause rabbits to grow horn-like keratinous growths on their heads, creating an animal that genuinely resembles the legendary Jackalope. European accounts of "horned hares" date back centuries, likely inspired by rabbits afflicted with this virus.