jackalope

The jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore, most famously said to inhabit the American West. It is described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns. Legends often attribute to the jackalope a distinctive, shrieking call, and claim it can mimic human voices. It is also said to be extremely difficult to hunt due to its speed and elusiveness.

The jackalope gained widespread popularity through a series of postcards created by Douglas Herrick of Douglas, Wyoming, starting in the 1930s. Herrick, a taxidermist, began mounting jackrabbit carcasses with deer antlers and selling them as novelty items. These postcards, featuring humorous depictions of the jackalope, helped spread the creature's fame across the United States and beyond.

While widely recognized as a fictional creature, the jackalope has become a symbol of kitsch and Americana. It appears in various forms of popular culture, including literature, film, and tourism. Some towns in the West have embraced the jackalope, creating statues and festivals in its honor. The term "jackalope" itself is a portmanteau of "jackrabbit" and "antelope." The origin of the myth may be linked to various folklore traditions involving horned hares or rabbits, and possibly to misidentified animals or optical illusions.