Day and Night in the Desert
In late spring, the desert is very hot and dry. But it is full of life. During the cool night, a beautiful saguaro cactus flower blossoms. In the morning, painted lady butterflies suck nectar from wildflowers growing in the Sun. Saguaro cactus blossoms last only one day in the hot desert Sun.
Nearby, a hungry lizard watches. It soon snaps up a butterfly and scurries away. Then it rests on a rock warmed by the Sun. Lizards have to eat, too. The western whiptail lizard has long claws to dig for food and catch insects.
A young snake slithers by, very quietly. It strikes quickly and gobbles up a lizard. The snake won't be hungry for the rest of the day. Even baby rattlesnakes have sharp teeth.
Most desert animals stay hidden in the shade during the hot afternoon. But at sunset the desert begins to cool. A roadrunner darts out from behind a barrel cactus. Roadrunners are very quick. Roadrunners can't fly very well, so they run fast instead. The snake is a nice treat.
In the evening, a coyote waits in the darkness. It has begun its night of hunting to bring food to its family. It doesn't bother to chase the roadrunner. A roadrunner is very hard to catch. The coyote looks for a kangaroo rat instead. Coyotes are clever hunters and can pounce quickly on their prey.
Under the desert moon, another saguaro flower blossoms. In the morning, a butterfly will sip nectar from wildflowers, and the search for food in the desert will begin again.
Vocabulary
Desert Tortoises
Did you know that the state reptile of California is the desert tortoise? In California, the desert tortoise lives in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Colorado deserts. The tortoise likes brush and scrub areas. During the day, the tortoise looks for green plants and grasses to eat.
The Mojave, Sonoran, and Colorado deserts get very hot during the late spring and the summer. It even gets too hot for tortoises! So the tortoises dig burrows. The burrows protect the tortoises from the sun. In the late spring and summer, the tortoise may leave its burrow for only an hour or so in the morning.
A special place in the Mojave desert has been set aside for desert tortoises. This place is called the Desert Tortoise Natural Area. Here tortoises are protected and studied. The area is also home to the Mohave ground squirrel, the desert kit fox, and even the kangaroo rat. There are different nature walks at the Desert Tortoise Natural Area. You can visit and try to spot a desert tortoise!
Vocabulary
Sources:
- California's Wildlife - California Department of Fish and Game
- Desert Tortoise Natural Area
- http://www.tortoise-tracks.org/dtna.html