If you see and hear movement in the shrubs during sunrise or sunlight hours at Red Rock Canyon, more than likely you’ve surprised a black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus). These animals tend to feed during dawn and dusk, looking for grasses, buds, fruits, and even prickly pear cactus. Much bigger than their desert cottontail companions, black-tailed jackrabbits also have longer ears and tails. Coyotes, foxes, birds of prey, and snakes all try to prey on these animals if they can catch them. Scientists have recorded black-tailed jackrabbits running at peak speeds of 35 to 40 miles per hour!

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