Vigorous Jack Rabbit Sex

   This afternoon out of the corner of my eye , I noticed two Jack Rabbits racing down my street. I have never seen them chasing each other. I had to go to another window because they went out of my vision. When I saw them one was up on my neighbor's planter and the second rabbit was making mad attempts to get on the planter as well. It was kind of funny when he fell off a couple of times. He finally got up on the planter and then I found out what was going on. A male was chasing a female in an attempt to mate. He mounted the female on the planter but just as fast, she took off and he had a surprised look on his face.

    The  female gained a few hops in the chase and then they chased around my neighbor's spruce tree which has boughs touching the ground. The two rabbits chased around and around the tree and through the branches. Next the female made a break to cross the street. The male took a leap with out stretched front paws and missed and almost did a forward roll. The female gained a couple of leaps and then stopped. The male harassed her and she ran off again and they ran around  a neighbor's juniper the same as the spruce tree. 

    Finally the female ran through my neighbor's yard and I lost sight of them.

    Since we have so many jack rabbits in the area I have seen mating before. Usually it's two or three bucks fighting with one another over the female. The bucks also follow the female just before she gives birth as she will breed right away. 

    So things can happen very quickly in the space of two minutes.