Flora and fauna add accent and joy of discovery when search the back country trails, lost gold mines and the never ending search for history. Any trip can be made better when you discover something new. A brightly colored flower or perhaps a juvenile speckled rattlesnake hiding in plain sight.
These moments of discovery while exploring the back country make a good trip, Great! Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to see of lot of animals.
Mammals
Generally the “cutest” of the animal kingdom, mammals are a class of vertebrate animal and possess mammary glands, three bones in the middle ear and hair and/or fur. This class of animals consists of over 26 orders and about 5000 species.
Reptiles
Reptiles are frequently the first animal one will encounter while travelling across the desert southwest. They are also some of the most misunderstood animals on the planet, Perhaps, it is their cold blooded nature. It could be decades of western movies, demonizing the rattlesnake and the dreaded sidewinder. Their appearance to the lost dinosaur and forked tongues which can “taste” the air could not help appearances much.
Wild Flowers
The beauty of nature is on full display when the wild flowers bloom and literally transform the landscape into a work of art and wonder. They say April showers brings May flowers, and that old saying is true. Seasonal monsoons can transform a seemingly lifeless arid waste land into a scenic display.
Cactus
Cactus are some of the best suited plants for the dry, hot climates of the Mojave, Sonoran, and Great Basin deserts. They range in size from just a few feet, exemplified by the beavertail, to over 50 feet in the noble Saguro.
Trees and Shrubs
