Desert Life

 Life in the desert is harsh and wondrous at the same time. I say harsh, because the animals have to survive in such dry and air conditions. The plants are pointy, poisonous, and protect themselves with multiple layers of pins or needles. The fruit is hard to come by and the water is scarce. All of this being said, the animals thrive, and survive.

The flowers bloom in the hopes to be pollinated and if so, the wildlife will flourish. Desert Tortoise surprise me with their ability to survive. one of the slowest moving animals, yet, they hold their own with their mighty shells. these creatures need to find a water source and can fill up by eating cactus paddles. the spines of a cactus do not hinder their mighty biting abilities. This is one of the reasons why these creatures are so fascinating. Another, is that when they are babies to yearlings, they can be flipped over and a snack for birds. How do they survive? How does anything in the desert survive? Especially without water! They do however camouflage nicely into the scenery and can also appear as a rock from a birds eye view. Maybe this is how they manage to avoid being eaten. Do you have any thoughts on this subject? For now, I will just share my love for tortoises with this Tiny Painting, “Waking Up.” I wanted to give this little creature some lettuce after a long span of time hibernating. These are amazing creatures who will get to out live most of us if the conditions allow them to. 

Another animal I marvel at is the Bighorn sheep. I am in awe of their rock climbing abilities and natural agility. One time I was out hiking with my dog and some friends when all the dogs spied two bighorns running atop the mountain’s ridge. They were an amazing site to behold. The dogs felt they could catch the sheep and went bounding after them, yet the bighorn were way too far away to be caught. My dog stayed by my side and watched the others in disbelief. The sheep chased each other and looked as if they were having their own battle with one another and could not be troubled by any visitors. All of this being said, please make sure to leash your dogs and be mindful of the wildlife. We are always visitors in their habitats and do not want to disturb them. My friend’s dogs quickly came back when she called them and they were leashed the rest of the hike. Always be respectful out in nature. The desert is hard enough on the indigenous species living there without the hassle from outside visitors. Thank you for reading and tried lightly this Thursday!

-Karen Hilliard