Jackalope
Also known as: Horned Rabbit, Warrior Rabbit
The antlered rabbit of the American West, born from taxidermy humor and frontier tall tales.
1932 (modern form)
Douglas, Wyoming, USA
Jackrabbit-sized with antlers
Elusive, fast
Confirmed hoax, cultural icon
The Lore
The Jackalope is a mythical jackrabbit bearing antelope horns, originating from Douglas, Wyoming in 1932 when taxidermist Douglas Herrick mounted deer antlers on a jackrabbit body. The joke took on a life of its own. Douglas now issues official Jackalope hunting licenses and hosts an annual festival. Some researchers note that rabbits infected with the Shope papilloma virus develop horn-like growths, suggesting a possible real-world inspiration for the legend.
Body Type
Folklore Origin
Notable Witnesses
- Douglas Herrick (creator)
Media Appearances
- America's Funniest Home Videos (referenced)
- Red Dead Redemption 2 (Easter egg)
Similar Real Animals
You might also like
Hodag
MediumA spiny, fire-born beast from the Wisconsin woods with a taste for white bulldogs.
Slide-Rock Bolter
HighA whale-shaped mountain predator that slides down Colorado slopes to swallow hikers whole.
Wolpertinger
LowA fanged, winged rabbit with antlers sounds like a joke until you see the taxidermy specimens in Bavarian hunting lodges.
Bigfoot
LowThe towering ape-man of the Pacific Northwest, glimpsed in fog and legend for centuries.
Sheepsquatch
MediumA woolly, horned quadruped lurking in the hills of West Virginia since the 1990s.
Skinwalker
HighA Navajo witch who wears the skins of animals and walks between worlds.
Skunk Ape
LowFlorida's foul-smelling answer to Bigfoot, lurking in the Everglades heat.
Fouke Monster
MediumThe hairy hominid of Boggy Creek, Arkansas, that inspired one of horror's first docudramas.