Where is the Sonoran Desert located?
The Sonoran Desert occurs primarily in Mexico. More than two-thirds of its total area is in Baja California and the state of Sonora. In the United States, most of the Sonoran Desert can be found in the southern third of Arizona, with small areas in southeastern California.
What are some fun facts about the Sonoran Desert?
Fascinating Sonoran Desert Facts
- The Sonoran Desert is the hottest in North America.
- It is the only place in the world where Saguaro Cacti grow.
- There are more than 2000 species of plants living in the desert.
- The city of Phoenix is entirely surrounded by the Sonoran Desert.
What is the Sonoran Desert known for?
The Sonoran is well known for its beauty and spectacular cacti. In spite of the harsh climate of this desert, there is diverse plant and animal life.
What is the Sonoran Desert for kids?
The Sonoran Desert is a hot, dry area in the Southwest region of the United States and in northwestern Mexico. It covers an area of 120,000 square miles (310,800 square kilometers).
Is the Sonoran Desert a coastal desert?
The Sonoran Desert of southwestern North America is a typical midlatitude desert.
How old is the Sonoran Desert?
The Sonoran Desert is composed of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks with widely varying ages, from 2 billion year-old Precambrian outcroppings in Arizona to relatively recent (ca. 700 A.D.) volcanism in the Pinacate region near the international border.
How much rain does the Sonoran Desert get?
three to fifteen inches
Generally speaking, the Sonoran Desert averages only three to fifteen inches (76 to 400 mm) of rain a year. In the Arizona Upland subdivision of the Sonoran Desert, rain falls about equally in two rainy seasons a winter one in December and January, and a summer one in July through early September.
Who lives in the Sonoran Desert?
The Sonoran Desert is home to a wide variety of animals, birds and other creatures. Mammals include large animals like the javelina, coyote, Mexican Wolf, bighorn sheep, and bobcat. Smaller animals like the fox, skunk, cottontail, and jackrabbit also live here. Another mammal that lives in the desert is the bat.
How do animals survive in the Sonoran Desert?
During the hot days, these desert animals are asleep in cool hidden places such as underground burrows, rock crevices, or cactus holes. Some animals remain active during parts of the hot day. They have other adaptations to deal with the heat.
What kind of animals live in the Sonoran Desert?
Is Sonoran Desert a hot desert?
The Sonoran is a hot desert. Summer air temperatures routinely exceed 40°C (104°F), and often reach 48°C (118°F).
Where does the Sonoran Desert end?
the Gulf of California
The Sonoran desert wraps around the northern end of the Gulf of California, from Baja California Sur (El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve in central and Pacific west coast, Central Gulf Coast subregion on east to southern tip), north through much of Baja California, excluding the central northwest mountains and Pacific west …