Other species of bird include anna's hummingbird, costa's hummingbird, canyon wren, lawrence's goldfinch, spotted owl, lucy's warbler, cactus wren, mourning dove, sage sparrow, bendire's thrasher and grey vireo. The gila woodpecker and gilded flicker often drill their nest holes in the giant saguaro cactus and these are sometimes taken over later by elf owls. They dart across the ground at up to 25 km/hr and they capture a variety of prey including venomous rattlesnakes. Other reptiles include the desert iguana, collard lizard, zebra-tailed lizard, sonoran sidewinder, western diamondback rattlesnake, sonoran mountain kingsnake and the black mexican kingsnake.īirds - one of the most remarkable birds that can be found in the desert is the greater roadrunner.
Reptiles - the most impressive reptile that can be found in the Sonoran desert is the venomous Gila Monster, although they are generally shy and retiring creatures. Invertebrates - the Sonoran Desert is home to a vast number of species of invertebrate which include spiders, scorpions, beetles, mites, wasps and bees. Some species shelter underground during the day and emerge at night to feed, while others remain underground for months and emerge after seasonal rainfall has improved their food supply. Much of the wildlife of the Sonoran Desert has adapted to cope with the harsh heat and periods of drought. Other species of cacti include cholla, bevertail, hedgehog, fishhook, prickly pear, night blooming cereus and organ pipe.Ĭreosote bush, bur sage, indigo bush, and mormon tea are examples of shrubs that may be found and wildflowers of the Sonoran Desert include desert sand verbena, desert sunflower, evening primroses, desert marigold and bluebonnet. The Sonoran Desert is the only place in the world where the famous Saguaro Cactus grows in the wild.
They have spines that are actually modified leaves and after a rainstorm their roots absorb water very quickly and it is stored for long periods within their stems. Their probing roots take as much moisture as possible from the soil, and they generally have small, waxy leaves that minimize water loss.Ĭacti are among the most striking desert plants. The Sonoran Desert is abundant in shrubs and trees that have adapted to survive in hot, arid conditions. During December and January there is frequent, low intensity rainfall.Īnnual precipitation in the Sonoran Desert averages from 76 - 500 mm (3 - 20 inches) depending on location.
#Gilded armadillo lizard free
Valley bottoms are usually free from frost, but the surrounding mountains may have dense snow cover at high elevations and north and east aspects. These high temperatures interact with cool moist air in the atmosphere and they produce the violent thunderstorms of the summer monsoons. In summer the air temperatures routinely exceed 40☌ (104☏) and often reach 48☌ (118☏). The Sonoran Desert is one of the hottest in North America. The sub-regions of the Sonoran Desert include: There are two major rivers which cross the desert, the Colorado River and its tributary the Gila River and during storms small desert streams are formed but these quickly dry out. The landscape of the Sonoran Desert is varied broad, sandy or rocky plains are broken up by numerous barren mountains. It is situated in south western USA in the states of Arizona and California, and in Mexico in the states of Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California. The Sonoran Desert is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America and it covers an area of 311,000 sq. Photographer: Alan D Wilson of Black-tailed Jackrabbit
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