Arizona desert, or known as Sonoran desert, is an area of desert with temperatures fluctuating between 120 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 40 degrees Fahrenheit during the night. Doesn’t it sound extreme? Amazingly, with these fluctuating temperatures, a lot of animals inhabit this area and survive well.
The area of the desert spans from Arizona and California in the United States and Sonora and Baja in Mexico. It covers an area of 120,000 square miles and known as the hottest and largest desert in North America.
Then, let’s explore and meet these 7 inhabitants of Arizona Desert and get to know their unique characteristics and reasons why they can survive well there!
- Mountain Lion
Mountain lion, or known as cougar or puma, is a member of the Felidae family found in America. It is 2.4 meters long and 2 feet tall. Its weight is around 120 to 160 lbs. Its preys range from rodents and rabbits to deer and cattle. It can travel far away until miles in search of food.
How are mountain lions adapted to the desert? They are nocturnal animals, meaning they are active at night. That’s the time when they hunt for food. During the day time, they mostly take shelter in caves and crevices in mountains.
Cougars and cats may look similar, but they are different! Find out about whether cougar and cat have the same ways to treat.
- American Golden Eagle
The American Golden Eagle is found in the Arizona Desert. It belongs to the family of birds. It can grow to 3 feet long and 9 to 12 lbs. It has a wingspan of 7 feet.
Its large pair of wings enables it to soar in the skies of the arid region. It mainly feeds on prairie dogs, cottontail rabbits, reptiles and small birds flying in the sky.
The American golden eagles build their nest in the crevices of high cliffs. They do that so that they can keep a watch on their young ones while they are flying in the sky.
Also read whether eagles have nesting habit. They also swoop on to defend their territories from intruders. To survive in the desert, they use the rising mass of warm air to soar in the sky. Once they notice any prey on the ground, they will tuck their wings and swoop on it at a tremendous speed.
- Mexican Grey Wolf
Being the smallest subspecies of the grey wolf, the Mexican grey wolf is native to the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts located in North America. It is around 1.5 meters long and 31 inches tall.
Its weight is around 60 to 80 lbs. It mainly consumes small animals, such as squirrels and mice, however, it sometimes eat large animals too, such as deer.
Unfortunately, this species of wolf was claimed to be endangered in 1976 as they became a nuisance for farmers who wanted to protect their livestock. However, by the end of the 20th century, this species had been reintroduced in Arizona. It is reported that in 2006, there are around 60 wolves inhabited this area.
- Anna’s Hummingbird
Anna’s hummingbird is a species of humming bird which inhabits the Arizona desert. There is a distinctive difference between the females and the males.
The males have metallic green backs and red heads and throats, while the females have green backs and white throats with red dots on tail feather tips.
This species of hummingbird is considered as the medium-sized hummingbird as it is 4 to 4.3 inches long.
Despite the fact that Ann’s hummingbird is a medium-sized bird, then hummingbird is still considered small. No wonder, it is listed as one of the smallest animals in the world.
- Great Horned Owl
Arizona desert also has a species of owl inhabiting it. The great horned owl is one of the owl species found in North America. It is around 18 to 27 inches tall and has a wingspan of 40 to 60 inches. The males are smaller than the females.
This bird is known to have an astounding digestive system as it allows it to swallow the whole prey and remove the bones or other unwanted parts in the form of pellets.
This bird is nocturnal and is equipped with a powerful eyesight. Its powerful claws assist it to swoop on the prey and lift it up. Being carnivorous animal, the great horned owls feed on rabbits, raccoons and even other owls.
If you love exploring deserts, then make sure you also know these animals in the Atacama desert and animals in the Sahara desert. Get some other information about where animals live and what their characteristics are.