| Wildlife | ||
| Location Climate Landscape Vegetation Wildlife Land Use Literature Cited
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Few warm-blooded vertebrates are restricted to the
Chihuahuan Desert. The yellow-faced pocket gopher (Geomys arenarius), Nelsons
kangaroo rat (Dipodomys nelsoni), southern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys torridus)
and the Texas antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilis interpres) are species
that live exclusively in the desertscrub. Desert mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus
crooki), desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana) and the
desert cottontail (Sylvilagus auduboni) are a few of the species that have adapted
to the desertscrub environment. The most widely distributed large game animals are the
pronghorn antelope and the mule deer. The bobcat and the coyote are the major mammalian
predators (Brown 1982). Most bird species exceed the range of the Chihuahuan Desert. The scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) and white-necked raven (Corvus cryptoleucus) are the only species that can be considered as character species. The scaled quail is the most abundant bird species. Mourning dove roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus), cactus wren (Campylorhunchus brunneicapillus), curved-bill thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostrel) and black-throated sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) are common though they are not exclusive to the Chihuahuan Desert (Brown 1982). Herptofauna of the Chihuahuan Desert include Texas banded gecko (Coleonyx brevis), greater earless lizard (Cophosaurus texanus) and roundtailed horn lizard (Phrynosoma modestum). Snake species include the western hooknose snake (Gyalopion canum), Texas blackheaded snake (Tantilla atriceps) and whipsnakes (Masticophis taeniatus and M. flagellum lineatus). The most commonly found rattlers are the western diamondback (Crotalus atrox) and the mohave rattlesnake (C. Scutulatus) (Brown 1982). Numerous species such as the Bolson tortoise (Gopherus flavomarginatus) and others such as pronghorn antelope were once grassland animals. These species and other grassland animals face rapidly deteriorating habitats (Brown 1982). |
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