Jackrabbits are not rabbits but hares. (They're in the same order as rabbits, but different genus.) We used to see both jackrabbits and cottontail rabbits in rural central Texas. Cottontails are cute and fluffy looking. Jackrabbits are longer and leaner. Cottontails are more domestic. They create complex burrows to bear their young. The jackrabbit is a wilder, more outdoor type. They scrape out depressions on the surface of the ground (which was dry and rugged in our area), and bear their young in the open. Their young thus are more matured at birth than the blind, hairless young of the cottontail who require shelter and nurturance. Jackrabbit parents provide their young with little attention. Both hares and rabbits are prey to many other animals such as hawks, coyotes, foxes and wild cats. The fact that they have a high rate of mating and reproduction makes sense for the survival of their species. One bit of information that I read some time back in a reference book about mammals has stayed with me. The jackrabbit creates not just one nest, but several for one birthing. The female gives birth to a few young in one spot, moves on to the next location to birth more, and to the next so that her litter is spread out. If some of the babies are taken by a predator, the ones in other locations still have a chance at survival. Several times, I've come across very old jack rabbits, large, thin, and grayed. They seem to have little fear, and will sit near the campfire or house like a wise great-great-great-great grandparent, a totem or archetype, with deep presence.