Desert Challenge 2

At Night

100

Flowers on the tips of my stems open at night so bats can sip nectar and move my pollen for me.

saguaro cactus

200

I have big eyes to see and hunt mice at night. You might hear me call “who, who.”

owl

300

I howl at night to let other animals know where I am.

coyote

Sizes and Shapes

100

I store water in my stem. My stem is the shape of a barrel.

barrel cactus

200

I am a bird, but I spend most of my time on the ground. My long legs help me run fast.

roadrunner

300

My body can grow to be 4 feet long. I like to curl up in the hot sun.

rattlesnake

Cool, Dude!

100

I use my white tail to reflect sunlight off my back.

ground squirrel

200

My long ears help me lose body heat and keep cool.

kit fox, kangaroo rat, jackrabbit

300

My yellow flowers and long branches make shade for young cactus plants.

palo verde tree

Desert Colors

100

I can live off the fat stored in my pink, spotted tail. The fat can feed me for months.

gecko

200

I look like sticks until it rains. Then red flowers appear on the tips of my stems.

ocotillo

300

My red fruit and I have spines. Some birds still eat my fruit. These birds spread the seeds that were inside my fruit.

strawberry cactus