The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert and ecoregion which covers large parts of the Southwestern United States in Arizona and California as well as Northwestern Mexico in Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is the hottest desert in Mexico. It has an area of 260,000 square kilometers. The Sonoran desert has an arid climate. In the lowerelevation portions of the desert, temperatures are warm yearround, and rainfall is infrequent and irregular.

Many plants not only survive but thrive in the harsh conditions of the Sonoran Desert. Many have evolved to have specialized adaptations to the desert climate. The Sonoran Desert's biseasonal rainfall pattern results in more plant species than any other desert in the world. The Sonoran Desert includes plant genera and species from the agave family, palm family, cactus family, legume family, and numerous others.

The Sonoran Desert is worldfamous for the numerous types of cacti that grow in it, especially the famous saguaro cactus which only grows here. This treelike cactus can grow up to 12 meters.
Salli the saguaro cactus is one of over 2,000 native plants that live in the Sonoran Desert. Although it's dry and hot in the desert, Salli blooms every year, and when pollinated, she grows fruit. She loves the summer monsoon rains because that's when she soaks up and stores enough water to last her the rest of the year.
Cactus provides food and homes to many desert mammals and birds, with showy flowers in reds, pinks, yellows, and whites, blooming most commonly from late March through June, depending on the species and seasonal temperatures.

The desert is home to 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, over 100 reptile species, 30 native fish species, over 1000 native bee species, and more than 2,000 native plant species can be found in the desert area. Species that have higher heat tolerance are able to thrive in the conditions of the Sonoran Desert.
Desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, collared peccaries (commonly known as javelinas), mountain lions, gray foxes, and coyotes make their homes in the desert. Other typical residents include desert tortoises, ground squirrels, Gila monsters, tarantulas, scorpions, and a variety of lizards and snakes. Rabbits and rodents, such as jackrabbits and kangaroo rats, are abundant, as are several species of bats. Birds include roadrunners, Gila woodpeckers, Gambel’s quail, and a variety of owls and hawks.

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