Desert Animals
This animal glows a bright neon blue-green under ultraviolet (black light).
What are scorpions?
Myth or reality: If you are severely dehydrated, ration your water by sipping it.
Myth; experts say that you should drink your water when you need it, rather than saving it for later.
These optical illusions are caused by the bending of light.
What is a desert mirage?
Tiny, sharp projections create a micro-layer of shade for this desert plant family.
What are cacti?
Fact or fiction: If your car breaks down in a remote area of the Mojave, you should always stay with your car.
Fact! Your car provides shelter and is much easier for search and rescue (SAR) to spot than a walking human
These animals can fight, kill and swallow venomous rattlesnakes whole.
What are roadrunners?
Myth or reality: You can freeze to death in the Mojave Desert.
Reality; winter temperatures regularly drop below freezing (32 degrees) at night.
This extreme weather event can travel up to 30 miles per hour, leaving devastation in its path.
What is a flash flood?
The depth that native Mojave plants, like the Mesquite tree, can send taproots down to in search of underground water.
What is 150 feet?
Fact or fiction: Red-colored urine is a sign of snakebite.
Fiction: it is a sign of muscle tissue breakdown from extreme heat and exhaustion
True or false: Desert tarantulas attempt to first blind their attackers before biting them.
True - they scrape barbed hairs off of their abdomen with their back legs to blind their attackers.
Myth or reality: Clear, running water in a desert dry wash is safe to drink.
Myth; even though it is clear, running water, it can still contain deadly parasites like Giardia from animal waste upstream.
The location with the highest reliably recorded air temperature on Earth.
What is Death Valley?
This major weather event is required to assist smoke trees and desert lupine seeds in germination.
What are flash floods?
Fact or fiction: One should use a tight, elastic tourniquet to trap snakebite venom in one limb.
Fiction: This process can result in a mandatory amputation of that arm or leg.
This animal can shoot a jet of foul-tasting blood up to three feet away to scare off coyotes.
What is a horned lizard?
Myth or reality: Eating food when dehydrated can dehydrate you faster.
Reality: Your body uses up vital internal water to digest the food.
This extreme desert phenomena (weather event) can reach speeds up to 60 miles per hour and reach 1,000 feet in height.
What are dust devils (mini desert tornadoes)
This native desert plant provided an ancient form of soap by crushing its roots.
What are Yucca plants?
The distance, in miles, search-and-rescue pilots can spot mirror flash signals from on a clear desert day.
What is 20 miles?
This desert animal can go its entire life without drinking a single drop of water.
What is the kangaroo rat?
The length of time it takes to lose a quart of sweat in 110 degree heat in the sun.
What is one hour?
Dark volcanic basalt rocks absorb heat so quickly that they can reach this surface temperature on a 105 degree summer day.
What is 150 degrees Fahrenheit?
Name one of the two closest relatives of the Joshua Tree, which is actually a giant succulent plant.
What are (name 1) agave and asparagus plants?
What is heat stroke?