Desert Bighorns Research Paper

Desert bighorn sheep are the parks largest and most magnificent animals. They are always on the move, and very mobile (so they can go form water source to water source.) This is surprising as they have to carry up to 30 pounds of curling horns. Their agility is a critical factor for surviving in death valley. Along with the fact that they have a high ability to travel to water and high mountain slopes.

One of the best places to look for bighorns in death valley is Titus canyon, where a year round freshwater spring serves as a watering hole.

Bighorns camouflage is excellent as their fur is the colour of the sand. The only way that the sheep are spotted is by the white rumps.

The inch-long, silver-coloured desert pupfish has learned to embrace

Now each type of pupfish has different adaptations. The endangered Devils Hole pupfish lives in a warm spring in an underground cave. It can withstand very hot water temperatures, higher than 90°F.

Even though the pupfish could become extinct in the spring the streams are full of them

Other localized subspecies are unique and bizarre. The Salt Creek pupfish lives in an ultra-salty stream. Its ancestors used to live in freshwater. This adaptation is the equal of humans drinking gasoline instead of tap water.

They are easy to spot during the breeding season even though they are no bigger than a pinky. For most of March and April, the stream by the boardwalk is full of fish. But once waters recede, the little fish leave, moving far upstream to wait out the heat in deep source pools.

The greater roadrunner is the most entertaining and spotted creature in the park. The foot-tall bird , a member of the cuckoo family, is actually a ferocious hunter and carnivore. They eat lizards, insects, small birds, snakes.

This ground-dwelling bird can reach top speeds of 20 miles per hour.

Roadrunners are one of the most intelligent birds on the planet. They’re very smart and very quick.

It spends time standing still or poking around for prey. If you want to find the greater roadrunner try to catch its rhythmic