A Kid’s Guide to the Arizona Sonoran Desert

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The plants, animals, and amazing scenes contained within the Arizona Sonoran Desert make it an exciting place to visit. The desert covers a lot of area in the United States including part of southern Arizona and a southeastern portion of California. It also moves into Sonora, Mexico. The stately saguaro cactus plant and the prickly pear cactus that live in the Sonoran Desert appreciate the temperatures that have been known to climb past 100 degrees there. In fact, the plants and animals that inhabit the Sonoran Desert, are as interesting as the desert itself.

The Sonoran Desert is a place that is unique in many ways. One point of interest is that it receives rainfall two times a year. Consequently, the plant life there is better able to store up water to last through the dry periods. In addition, while daytime in the desert can be very hot, the temperatures at night can turn extremely cold. The reptile inhabitants of the Sonoran desert also play a part in making it a fascinating environment to observe. It is home to gopher snakes as well as some rattlesnakes. A visitor to the Sonoran Desert might see a turkey vulture fly overhead or even a Harris hawk. At night, if a patient observer were to keep a watchful eye he or she might spot a long-nosed bat drinking nectar from a saguaro cactus. Finally, a lucky visitor could spy a bouncy kangaroo rat looking for seeds to munch on or a black-tailed jackrabbit quietly chewing some blades of grass.

If someone visited the Arizona Sonoran Desert a dozen times, he or she would surely witness a new and interesting sight with each trip. The vital environment of the Sonoran Desert is worth our respect and appreciation.

General Information on the Sonoran Desert

Mammals of the Sonoran Desert

  • Creatures of the Sonoran Desert: Study information on a gathering of mammals that live in the Sonoran Desert such as the peccary and the bobcat.
  • Facts on the Peccary: Learn the facts about the peccary, one of the mammals that inhabits the Sonoran Desert.
  • Life in the Sonoran Desert: Find out what lives in the Sonoran Desert including mammals such as the coyote, the kangaroo rat, the gray fox, and more!

Reptiles/Invertebrates of the Sonoran Desert

Birds of the Sonoran Desert

  • Birds in the Sonoran Desert: Features photos accompanied by descriptions of birds seen in the Sonoran Desert area.
  • Life of a Roadrunner: Facts about the behavior, eating habits, physical appearance, and more are offered in this information.
  • Profile of the Cactus Wren: Discover information about the Sonoran Desert’s cactus wren including facts about its eating habits and behavior.

Rocks/Minerals of the Sonoran Desert

Plants of the Sonoran Desert

  • Facts on the Inhabitants of the Sonoran Desert: Click on an illustration and learn about the life all around the saguaro cactus. Also, find further intriguing information about the area.
  • All about the Sonoran Desert: Learn about the plants that call the Sonoran Desert home as well as its animals and climate.
  • Sonoran Desert Plants: Checkout the descriptions of Arizona desert plants along with their photos.

Things to See and Do in the Sonoran Desert

Additional Resources

  • A Fun Desert Activity: Create a diorama displaying a desert theme with the help of these instructions and materials.
  • Cactus Fun: Print out an illustration of a cactus and decorate it!
  • A Lesson on the Endangered Species of the Sonoran Desert: Read the details of this lesson plan regarding endangered species and the Sonoran Desert.
  • Desert Creatures: View the list of desert animals and learn which ones live in the Sonoran Desert.
  • An Exciting Desert Webquest: Learn about desert life with this fun webquest.

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