Jackrabbits are not seen often in the dunes, although their tracks and droppings are seen occasionally. They feed on plants, getting moisture from their food rather than from distant springs. Large ears radiate excess body heat and help cool the animal as it rests in shaded areas during the hot day.
Have you seen any birds? Birds also leave tracks! The large bird tracks here are generally left by ravens—big, black birds which eat almost anything. In the spring and fall, some migrating birds stop briefly. Shrikes, sparrows, kingbirds and blackbirds are among the visitors and residents of the dunes. Insects and vegetation provide food and shelter for them.
BEETLE
Have you seen any insects? Tracks resembling those of a tiny bulldozer tell us where beetles have traveled. Shiny black circus beetles or stinkbugs and gray snout beetles are often seen.
Since most activity in the dunes takes place at night, very little of this action is observed. However, in the morning we can stroll in the sand and unravel the secrets of the previous night. As you look at each set of tracks, imagine what the animal looks like as it moves. How big is it? How many feet does it have? Are the feet side by side as though jumping like rodents or rabbits, or do they alternate as in the walking or running motion of lizards? How far apart are the prints? Does the animal drag its tail? Now, where do the tracks go? Follow some animal tracks to see what interactions have taken place. The same animal may leave different tracks on different sand surfaces or under difference circumstances. Notice your own tracks as you walk, run, jump or sit in loose or firm sand. Try it!
In many respects these dunes are like any Other deposits of windblown sand along the coast or in deserts. They reflect variations in the sand supply and respond to particular wind patterns following the same basic, natural principles. Several other National Parks and Monuments have sand dunes of various sizes and composition. Death Valley dunes are not the largest in the United States by any means! Here the dunes reach a height of 80 ft. (24 m). They provide a visual change of pace with their soft lines and shadows in contrast to the sharp, rugged mountain peaks around them.
Sand
soft