MULE DEER (Odocoileus hemionus)

Mule deer are found in the lower foothills and canyons of desert regions, where they graze the grasses and herbs and also eat the leaves of shrubs such as jojoba, mesquite, fairy duster, etc. They have distinctly large ears to alert them to danger, because they are one of the main prey species of mountain lions. The young fawns also are eaten by coyote. Only the males have antlers, but these are shed and regrow each year.

The photograph was taken in the shrub grassland zone of Big Bend National Monument, South Texas.