Sonoran Desert

A certain stillness accompanies the ancient desert floor. A silence that even the many noisy creatures of this place cannot help but acknowledge, and an aspect of this place for which many people have come to seek atonement. Tall green cacti stand like monolithic monuments to the will of survival that even the most simple forms of life are capable of, while the rattle of a snake reminds those around that the admirable will to survive can be thwarted by a crafty and deadly creature hiding in the cool shade of a rock. The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, with an area of 311,000 square kilometers (120,000 sq mi). It includes 60 mammal species, 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, over 100 reptile species, 30 native fish species, over 1000 native bee species, and more than 2000 native plant species. The Sonoran Desert area southwest of Tucson and near the Mexican border is vital habitat for the only population of Jaguars living within the United States.