Abstract We recorded video providing the first conclusive evidence that the black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) consumes Mojave milkweed (Asclepias nyctaginifolia) containing phytochemicals in the Ivanpah Valley, Mojave Desert, California, USA. We discuss possible chemical and biological interactions between the black-tailed jackrabbit and Mojave milkweed. We explore potential ecological effects of black-tailed jackrabbit herbivory on Mojave milkweed, including competition with the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and its close relative the queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus), and how these ecological interactions may be affected by anthropogenic land-use and land-cover change in arid environments of the western United States.

中文翻译：

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兔子不在乎！黑尾长耳兔食用含有植物化学物质的稀有沙漠乳草

摘要 我们录制的视频提供了第一个确凿的证据，证明黑尾长耳兔 (Lepus californicus) 在美国加利福尼亚州莫哈韦沙漠的伊万帕谷食用含有植物化学物质的莫哈韦乳草 (Asclepias nyctaginifolia)。我们讨论了黑尾长耳兔和莫哈韦乳草之间可能的化学和生物相互作用。我们探讨了黑尾长耳兔食草对莫哈韦乳草的潜在生态影响，包括与帝王蝶 (Danaus plexippus) 及其近亲女王蝴蝶 (Danaus gilippus) 的竞争，以及人为土地利用如何影响这些生态相互作用美国西部干旱环境中的土地覆盖变化。