The Jackalope
Horned Warrior Rabbit
The jackalope (sometimes spelt "jackelope") is almost universally accepted to be unreal - somewhere between deliberate hoax, weird urban legend and simple tall tale. As such this strange creature doesn't really have a place in cryptozoology. Unfortunately the myth is so strongly established that it needs to be addressed by cryptozoologists.The jackalope is supposed to be a horned rabbit. Not just small horns but large, impressive antlers! The name comes from a cross between the words "jackrabbit" and "antelope" (it has also been called by the far less impressive name of "antelabbit"!).
The jackalope is, apparently, native to the American West - especially Wyoming - and was first sighted by cowboys. The creature's antlers make it a powerful fighter if cornered, however it is shy and prefers to avoid conflict. For that reason no jackalope has ever been taken alive. Some reports also suggest that the jackalope is skilled at imitating sounds, including human voices.
Images of jackalopes abound on postcards and there are many mounted "jackalope heads" to be found, many availabl to buy in stores. The strange legend was recently given new life by the inclusion of a jackalope character in the animated film "Boundin" that preceded the cinema release of The Incredibles.
Origin
There is almost universal agreement that the jackalope is simply an amusing legend. It was possibly invented by and almost certainly first popularised by one Douglas Herrick of Wyoming in the 1930s. The strange story proved very popular and the weird creature is now a standard feature of the area's tourism industry. Neeless to say, you can buy all sorts of jackalope souvenirs and stuff.It's possible that the jackalope - along with similar European horned rabbit legends - does have some slight basis in fact. It's been suggested that the story might have been inspired by rabbits suffering from the shope papillomavirus which causes hornlike growths on the head.