Photo by Earle Robinson www.birdfotos.com

Sedona, AZ: You'll most often see this desert resident in the early morning, frozen next to a sage bush, ears up, eyes wide. If you get too close, he'll launch into an impossibly long trajectory, not touching the ground for 15 feet or more in a single leap, then dash away in a zigzag pattern, reaching speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. Early western settlers called it the "jackass rabbit" because of its long ungainly ears, but its shortened name jackrabbit does a better job connoting the firecracker explosiveness of his speed and zippy maneuvers.

Like most desert animals, the jackrabbit is specially designed to live in a harsh, hot landscape. Those long ears, which are practically translucent when the light hits them the right way, help him to detect the sounds of a potential predator but also give the many blood vessels inside plenty of room to cool the blood to help prevent overheating, kind of like a radiator in a car. Jackrabbits need very little water, and usually get enough from the grasses and other vegetation they eat, so they don't need to live near or travel to water holes very frequently. They do need to eat a lot, however, and fifteen jackrabbits can consume as much forage as one large cow, which makes them a menace to ranchers and farmers in some areas.

Their long, powerful hind legs and amazing running skills make them an even or better match for most of their natural predators which include coyotes, bobcats and owls.

Your average domestic dog, no matter how excited it may be about the chase, generally doesn't stand a chance with a jackrabbit. They're built to escape, which means they don't worry much about hiding themselves, and will usually lounge in a shallow depression they've dug in the ground, preferably in the shade, rather than in a nest or burrow.