Teddy Bear Cholla

Plants > Caryophyllales

The Teddy Bear Cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii), celebrated across the desert Southwest as the most deceivingly named and formidable plant in the desert, is a legendary icon of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. From a distance, its densely packed, silvery-white spines...

Creosote Bush

Plants > Zygophyllales

The Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata), celebrated across the desert Southwest as the ‘Gobernadora’ (the Governess), is the immortal, fragrant sovereign of the North American deserts. Dominating millions of acres across the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan...

Desert Pupfish

Fish > Pupfishes

The Desert Pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius) is an astonishing evolutionary marvel of physiological extremotolerance. Thriving in the blistering desert springs and brine pools of the Sonoran Desert where virtually no other fish could survive for seconds, this tiny,...

Antelope Jackrabbit

Mammals > Lagomorphs

The Antelope Jackrabbit (Lepus alleni) is an extraordinary, long-eared desert hare native to the scorching heart of the Sonoran Desert. Famous for its colossal, translucent ears that measure up to seven inches long and its unique ability to flash brilliant white flank...

Ocotillo

Plants > Flowering Plants

The Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), also known as the Desert Coral, Candlewood, or Coachwhip, is one of the most striking and iconic botanical silhouettes of the North American desert southwest. Neither a true cactus nor an ordinary shrub, it belongs to its own...