by Alex Gugel , all rights reserved
![]() | Red Rock CanyonJunior Explorer Book |
featured in
![]() | Nevada Pocket Maps | ![]() |
covered parks
BLM/NV/LV/GI/12-13+1800
Welcome!
Mt. Charleston
BLM’s Junior Explorer program helps introduce young explorers
like you to the lands and resources that the BLM manages.
This discovery book will introduce you to plants, animals, and
history of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Red
Rock Canyon is one of many public land locations you can enjoy.
the appropriate number of pages for your age
1 Complete
group. Feel free to have a Ranger or adult help you. It's
also okay to do more activities if you wish.
Ages 6 and under: 4 pages
Ages 7-9: 5 pages
Ages 10-12: 6 pages
Ages 13 and above: 8 or more pages
Rainbow Mountain
Mt. Wilson
this book to the visitor center information desk after
2 Take
you finish your pages so that a BLM Ranger or volunteer
can check your work.
someone has checked your answers, you will be sworn
3 Once
in and the certificate at the back of this book will be
filled out.
Spring Mountain
Ranch State Park
Plant Zones
How would you like to travel from Mexico to the Arctic and
not leave Red Rock Canyon? As you drive around the 13-Mile
Scenic Drive, you will change elevation (the height above sea
level). The temperature will be about three to five degrees
cooler for each 1,000 feet you climb. You may not think of
these changes as much, but it is for plants and animals. Each
type of plant and animal can only tolerate a certain amount of
coolness and dryness. This means that the higher you climb
and the cooler it gets, you, too, will get to experience the
different plant zones.
Joshua Tree
2000-6000ft
Utah Juniper
5000-7000ft
Beavertail Cactus
Sea level-4000ft
Many-Headed Barrel
Cactus 3500-4800ft
2
Ponderosa Pine
6000ft and up
Bonnie Springs
Old Nevada
Turtlehead Peak
Bridge Mountain
Calico Hills
Scenic Drive
Calico Basin
Visitor
Center
Red Spring Picnic Area
State Route 159/Charleston Boulevard
Blue Diamond Hill
Hey kids!
My name is Sandy and I’m a Junior Explorer here at Red
Rock Canyon National Conservation Area! That means it
is my responsibility to help keep Red Rock Canyon
clean, tell others about Red Rock, and do my part to
protect and preserve Red Rock. Now it is your turn to
become a Junior Explorer too! I will guide you through
the book to make sure you are ready to be an official
Red Rock Canyon Junior Explorer!
Let’s have fun!
State
Route
159/C
harles
ton B
oulev
ard
3
Four Major North American Deserts
OR
Mojave Desert
ID
(Hint: the smallest desert
entirely in the US)
WY
Sonoran Desert
(Hint: crosses the US and the
Mexican border)
NV
Great Basin Desert
UT
(Hint: the largest desert
entirely in the US)
CO
Chihuahuan Desert
CA
(Hint: the only desert that
has area in Texas)
AZ
NM
TX
Come and discover a part
of the Mojave Desert at
Red Rock Canyon National
Conservation Area.
Fill in the four desert areas
with the correct pattern.
What is a desert?
A desert is an area that gets less than 10 inches of rain per year. It can be very hot and sometimes quite cold (below
freezing). Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is within the Mojave Desert, which gets most of its rain
during winter storms and occasional scattered summer thunderstorms. Other places in the Mojave Desert can reach
temperatures up to 130 degrees F (about 55 degrees C). That’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk! Red Rock
Canyon National Conservation Area is also part of the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System.
4
Public Lands Belong To You!
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is a federal government agency that takes care of more than 245 million acres
of land. Most of these lands are in the western part of the United States. These lands are America’s public lands, and
they belong to all Americans.
The BLM manages public lands for many uses. The lands supply natural resources, such as coal, oil, natural gas, and
other minerals. The lands provide habitats for plants and animals. People enjoy the big open spaces on the lands. The
lands also contain evidence of our country’s past, ranging from fossils to Indian artifacts to ghost towns.
National Landscape Conservation System
The Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) contains some of the West’s
most spectacular landscapes. It includes over 887 federally recognized areas and approximately 27 million acres of
National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers,
National Scenic and Historic Trails, and Conservation Lands of the California Desert.
National Landscape
Conservation System
Alaska
Upper Missouri
River Breaks NM
Steese NCA
Pompeys
Pillar NM
Yaquina Head
Outstanding
Natural Area
CascadeSiskiyou NM
Steens Mountain
Cooperative
Management
and Protection
Area
Mortley Nelson
Snake River Birds
of Prey NCA
Headwaters
Forest Reserve
Craters of the
Moon NM
Maryland
Black Rock DesertHigh Rock Canyon
Emigrant Trails NCA
King Range
NCA
McInnis
Canyon NCA
California
Coastal NM
Fort Ord
NM
Piedras Blancas
Outstanding
Natural Area
Carrizo
Plain NM
Beaver Dam
Wash NCA
Red Rock
Canyon NCA
Sloan
Canyon NCA
Santa Rosa-San
Jacinto Mountains NM
Red Cliffs
NCA
Dominguez
Escalante NCA
Gunnison
Gorge NCA
Grand StaircaseEscalante NM
Canyons of the
Ancients NM
Vermillion
Cliffs NM
Grand CanyonParashant NM
Kasha-Katuwe
Tent Rocks NM
El Mapais NCA
Agua Fria NM
Sonoran
Desert NM
Ironwood
Forest NM
Gila Box
Riparian NCA
Las Cienegas NCA
Fort Stanton-Snowy
River Cave NCA
Florida
Prehistoric
Trackways NM
San Pedro Riparian NCA
NM: National Monument
NCA: National Conservation Area
Potomac Heritage
National Scenic Trail
Jupiter Inlet
Outstanding
Natural Area
5
Wildlife Watch
Many people think there is no wildlife in the desert. This is not true! If you take a close look, you may be
surprised by what you can find. If you walk quietly and look carefully, you may spy some of the inhabitants
of Red Rock Canyon. Remember not to feed or pet any wild animal. Draw a circle around each animal you see.
Bighorn Sheep
Coyote
These powerful mammals are
herbivores and like to dine on
grasses, leaves, and other plants.
They use their large horns to fight
each other and establish rank in
their herds.
The coyote is one of the most recognizable
mammals of the desert. They are often heard
howling, letting other coyotes know that they are
not welcome. Coyotes also bark to protect their den.
Red-Tailed Hawk
This carnivore, though one of the
largest hawks, only weighs a few
pounds. It can often be seen circling
high in the air, distinguished by its
red tail feathers.
Chuckwalla
Jackrabbit
These “rabbits” are actually hares, as their
young are born fully covered in hair with
their eyes wide open. They have specially
adapted long ears that allow them to cool
off during the hot summer days, as well as
listen for predators.
Cottontail Rabbit
The cottontail rabbit can be active any time during the
day, but like many other desert dwellers, they are often
less active during the extreme heat of summer days.
When danger is near, the cottontail alerts other rabbits
by raising its white tail.
6
Chuckwallas can tolerate temperatures as high as 102
degrees F (39 degrees C), allowing them to withstand
the brutal summer heat. To avoid predators, chuckwallas
wedge themselves into rock crevices and puff up their
extra skin folds like a balloon, stopping the predator
from being able to pull them out.
White-Tailed Antelope
Ground Squirrel
Often mistaken for chipmunks, ground
squirrels are omnivores, eating seeds,
grasses, plants, and small animals such as
insects. When they cannot find water in
the desert, squirrels can use moisture from
their food to survive.
Desert Tortoise
The desert tortoise is able to live in the desert by
staying out of the hot sun, conserving water, and
staying inactive, to not waste energy. Tortoises spend
95 percent of their time in a burrow, which also
protects them from predators like coyotes and hawks.
Desert Iguana
The desert iguana is a long lizard, growing up to 16” in length. It uses its light
brown and tan colored body to camouflage itself in sandy areas, even staying
active when temperatures reach 115 degrees F (46 degrees C)!
Tarantula
These hairy spiders often live in burrows (holes in the ground) often near
rocks and tree roots. Tarantulas will lay webbing around the entrance to
their burrow, and can feel when something disturbs the silky strands. This
alerts the tarantula of danger, as well as potential food, such as crickets
and other small animals like lizards that may pass over the webbing.
In the space provided, draw or describe any other animals that you see.
7
Shapes and Colors in Sandstone Quarry
Many people come to Red Rock Canyon to see the red-colored rocks, but that’s not all we have here! If you look
around, you can find all the colors of the rainbow among the many shapes of Red Rock Canyon and in nature. In this
picture of the Sandstone Quarry area, circle the shapes that you can see. Try to find at least two circles, squares,
triangles, and rectangles. Put an X by five different colors that you see while visiting Sandstone Quarry.
Circles
Colors:
8
Squares
Blue
Orange
Triangles
Yellow
Red
Green
Rectangles
Brown
Purple
Sandstone Quarry, an Ancient Sand Box
Visit Sandstone Quarry, three miles from the visitor center along the 13-Mile Scenic Drive.
Between 1905 and 1913, sandstone was cut into blocks and removed from a place
which became known as Sandstone Quarry. The blocks were loaded onto flat cars
that were pulled across the desert to the railhead in Las Vegas. Steam was the power
source for everything, including the saws and the Best Steam Traction Engine used
to haul the rock. The stone was used because of its superior quality for building in
Los Angeles and San Francisco. Three companies tried to make a success of mining
the sandstone until the quarry was shut down in 1913.
Walk to the big red rocks. Run your hand across a red rock. How does it feel?
Sharp
Smooth
Rough
Warm
Cold
Walk down the short trail with an adult. Look at the big blocks of sandstone cut out
of the rock. What shape are they?
Square
Rectangle
Circle
Stand next to a big sandstone block. Is it taller than you?
Can you put your arms around it?
Yes
Yes
No
No
How will you explore Sandstone Quarry today?
Draw a picture or write a sentence or two about what you will do.
9
Plant Adaptations
As you walk around the visitor center and Discovery Plaza, go around the 13-Mile Scenic Drive, or go for a
hike, look around at all the desert plants of the Mojave Desert. The plants you will see along the way possess
special adaptations for living in the desert. These adaptations help these plants survive the cold winters
and very hot and dry summers here in Red Rock Canyon. Read below about some of the amazing adaptations
of five of the desert’s plants.
Can you find three of these plants during your visit?
Joshua Tree
Mojave Yucca
Cholla Cactus
Utah Juniper
A desert is a place that gets less
than 10" of rain a year, or a
place that loses more water
than it gains, making all deserts
very dry places to live. To take
advantage of what little rainfall
that does come, the roots of the
Joshua Tree are shallow and spread out
just under the soil surface over a large
area. If you look carefully, you might
see an old tree that has fallen over
because its root system could
no longer keep it upright.
When it is very hot outside, people
usually stay inside or stay in the
shade. Since a plant can’t
exactly walk under the
shade of a tree, it has
to create its own shade,
and that’s just what a
Cholla cactus does! The sharp
spines that cover the branches
from top to bottom act like little parasols, protecting the
cactus from the desert sun while keeping animals from
eating its branches.
It can be very hard to find water in the desert. Plants
can lose a lot of water through their leaves.
To conserve this scarce resource, plants like
the Mojave yucca have thick, tough, waxy
leaves with a relatively small surface area.
Like many other succulents, during the
summer heat, the Mojave yucca opens
its stomata (the tiny holes on the leaf
surface that let it breathe) at night
when the air is cool. Dead leaves stay on the
yucca rather than fall off like other plants.
Instead, yucca leaves fall downward to help
shade the trunk.
It is all about water storage for the Utah
Juniper tree. This evergreen can grow to be
almost 30 feet tall and live to be 650 years old.
The juniper is able to do this because of its
extensive root system, specially adapted to
find water stored deep in the soil. During
a drought, the juniper can also move water
from its branches and store it in its trunk to
keep itself alive.
Desert Willow
The Desert Willow is not a true willow, but just like the true willow, it is a wetland plant. How does
this plant grow in the desert with so few of the adaptations we see in many other desert plants?
Well, there is water in the desert, but sometimes it is hidden below the soil surface. The Desert
Willow only grows in washes and other areas where there is water below the soil surface. This water
keeps the Desert Willow alive where it could not grow otherwise.
10
Yesterday and Today
The Paiutes who used to live in Red Rock Canyon didn’t have grocery stores or running water, and their houses,
called wikiups, looked very different from ours. Yet, they had to eat, drink and have a place to live. All living
things need food, water, shelter, and space to survive. These four things are what make up a “habitat.” Draw a
line to connect each item from our lives with a similar item the Paiute people might have used.
Solve the cryptogram to decode a simple rhyme.
1
A
2
B
6
1
3
C
15
8
4
D
5
E
15
4
1
2
6
F
,
9
7
G
8
H
9
I
10
J
11
K
23
1
20
5
18
20
1
20
9 19
12
L
,
1
13
M
14
N
15
O
19
8
5
19 16
16
P
17
Q
18
R
12 20
5
3
5
9
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
S T U V W X Y Z
18
1
,
12
19
16
1
3
5
16
12
1
3
5
11
s
i
s
a
O
t
r
e
Des
k
e
e
r
C
t
s
o
L
at
Visit the Lost Creek Trailhead seven miles from
the visitor center on the 13-Mile Scenic Drive. Walk
up the trail until you come to a spring with willow
trees around it (about 1/3 mile).
Do you see any insects or animals? Write down those
that you see.
Do you think this might be a good spot for other
animals to come and drink when you are not there?
What animals might get water here?
At the end of the canyon is a seasonal waterfall
Lost Creek has water all year long, even though the
desert gets less than ten inches of rain a year. If you
were a thirsty Native American or pioneer at Red
Rock Canyon years ago, would this spot have been
important to you?
Why?
DO NOT DRINK THIS WATER.
that occurs in the spring from snow melt or after
a heavy rainfall. Think about what time of year
it is and if there has been any heavy rain recently.
Do you think you will see a waterfall at the end
of the canyon? Take a look and find out!
What did you see when you arrived?
GRRRR
There may be tiny creatures in the water like Giardia lamblia that
could make you sick. People today must purify water from wild
streams and springs before they can safely drink it.
12
Surviving in the Desert
Plants and animals at Red Rock Canyon have adapted to survive in the hot and dry weather of the desert. Match each
plant or animal with its adaptation. Write the number of the adaptation for that plant or animal in the blank next to it.
There is only one answer for each.
Mesquite Tree
Roadrunner
Kangaroo Rat
Gila Monster
Kit Fox
Great Horned Owl
Bighorn Sheep
Jackrabbit
Cholla Cactus
1 Runs more than flies.
2 Tap root may go down 100 feet to get water.
3 Has scaled skin resistant to drying.
4 Comes out at night.
5 Less active during midday heat.
6 Burrows underground.
Desert Tortoise
7 Its body is adapted to get all of its water
from seeds.
8 Big ears catch cool breezes and has
reflective body hair.
9 Spines create shade.
10 Internal organs insulated by fat layer to
keep warm during winter.
13
Tracks
Although you may not see the animals who live here, you may find signs of them by their tracks and droppings.
Unscramble the words on the next page to discover which animals make Red Rock Canyon their home. If you are having
trouble figuring out what animal the tracks go to, ask for help from a BLM Ranger or volunteer, an adult, or flip through
your Junior Explorer Activity Book for clues.
Use the empty space to trace your own footprint. If you have space, trace your foot with your shoe on and with your
shoe off. How are they different? How are they the same? Use the ruler to figure out how wide and how long your foot
is. Compare your foot size with others. Who has the biggest feet? Who has the smallest?
Draw
14
here!
10
9
YTOEOC
7
8
ROGAKONA TRA
6
DARLZI
ABCOTB
4
5
ALIQU
3
STREDE STRETOOI
1
HIRNBOG PEHES
2
KASNE
15
Pack your pack!
There are many things that you need to take along, could take along, or that are better left behind for a day
of hiking. Imagine that this is your bedroom and you are about to go to Calico Tanks for a hike. “Pack” your
backpack by circling all the things you would take on the hike. Remember, even if you are going hiking for
the day, it is a good idea to be prepared to spend the night if you must.
16
R
O
W
S
D
C
R
E A
H
Find these animals of Red Rock Canyon in the letter block. Their names may be found going up, down, diagonally,
backwards, or across. Circle the words as you find them and cross them off the list so that you know which words
you have already found.
e
r
e
p
t
i
l
e
t
o
y
o
c
k
h
a
w
k
n
o
l
i
z
a
r
d
n
n
o
t
g
e
t
a
r
k
c
a
p
r
r
l
t
e
y
l
f
r
e
t
t
u
b
d
u
l
e
l
l
l
e
a
e
t
o
r
r
l
r
b
n
t
f
i
i
v
l
p
a
i
e
r
q
l
g
e
n
a
h
e
e
b
b
r
s
e
t
a
o
e
o
t
s
n
b
o
r
t
a
e
d
m
r
b
g
n
a
i
b
i
h
p
m
a
t
m
f
r
a
o
t
c
u
f
g
d
e
c
l
a
e
k
r
t
a
q
t
o
o
h
e
w
m
m
e
p
d
t
s
b
c
x
b
s
o
a
d
r
r
a
r
o
a
d
r
u
n
n
e
r
m
u
t
t
f
c
a
b
e
i
e
i
o
o
n
b
BIGHORN
HAWK
LIZARD
BAT
RABBIT
FOX
COYOTE
BOBCAT
SQUIRREL
COTTONTAIL
DEER
BURRO
EAGLE
RAVEN
ROADRUNNER
TREE FROG
DRAGONFLY
BEETLE
RATTLESNAKE
TORTOISE
OWL
PACK RAT
BUTTERFLY
INSECT
MAMMAL
REPTILE
BIRD
AMPHIBIAN
17
Leave No Trace
The Leave No Trace principles are seven simple guidelines to go by when visiting Red Rock Canyon and other public lands
in order to leave the area the same or better than when you arrived. In the picture below, each of the principles are
NOT being followed. Can you find and circle all seven guidelines that are NOT correct, as well as some things that just
do not seem quite right?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
18
Know before you go: Be prepared with the right clothing, maps, and knowledge about the area.
Choose the right path: Stay on the trail in order not to hurt nature.
Trash your trash: Pack it in, pack it out.
Be careful with fire: Use existing fire rings and camp stoves, and make sure that fire is out cold.
Respect wildlife: Watch animals without bothering them or their homes.
Be kind to other visitors: Others have also come to enjoy nature, so be courteous and quiet.
Leave what you find: Leave nature as you find it. Take pictures, leave only footprints.
The Leave No Trace Seven Principles for Kids have been reprinted with the permission
of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethic. For more information: www.LNT.org
A Day In The Life
A day in the life of a child 2,000 years ago was quite different from today. Children helped by gathering seeds, growing
crops (like corn), hunting small animals (such as rabbits and birds), preparing meals, and tending to younger children.
They also learned to make tools and pottery. Families taught the children about the world through stories and rituals.
Imagine children 2,000 years ago using a daily journal to write down what they did each day. Help finish the
”journal entry” below by filling in the blanks from the words provided. Information at the visitor center and the
glossary in this booklet may help you find the answers.
Agave
Bighorn Sheep
Petroglyphs
Snares
Mano
Yucca
I knew it would be another busy day today
as the sun rose over the red hills. I grabbed
my pot and walked to the spring by the big,
white mountain to get water to use for the
day. Until just a few days ago, I was able
to go to the hidden lake in the red hills,
but this warmer weather has caused all the
water there to disappear. I can remember
spending time in the Spring watching the
water slide along the rocks. The rushing
water slid into the deep hole cut into the
stone, forming a pool or _____________,
where I could gather water easily.
Metate
Roasting Pit
Storytelling
Tinaja
seeds and berries together, a tasty meal will
be had by all.
Near the spring, I saw my brother, along with
several other boys, making _____________
out of yucca fiber ropes. Later they were able
to catch a couple of rabbits to have for dinner.
Above the boys on the rocks are several
carved images, or _____________, of the
many animals which previous hunters found
in the area, including the agile __________,
an animal with big curved horns.
The rock carvings remind me of the
___________ that our family sometimes
Along the way to the water, I passed my
shares at night around the fire. I look forward
father and a bunch of men collecting gray
to this time because it teaches me how my
rocks to use for our cooking area, called a
family, friends, and the land came to be.
_____________. It will be only a few days
until the _____________ plant and desert After a five-mile round trip journey, I went
tortoise are cooked enough to eat. In the back to our camp with the water for the day.
meantime, I will help my mother gather That seems like a long walk for water, but
the seeds that she will grind on the large for now, that is a way for me to help out.
flat stone, the __________, with a flat When I got back, my mother was weaving
hand-sized stone called a ____________ a basket. Someday I will be able to weave
to make cooking flour. It’s a lot of work to the _____________ fiber and also make the
grind the seeds and to make enough flour yucca soap as skillfully as my mother does.
to use for cooking. By mixing the mesquite That will be fun!
19
Journal
There is so much going on at Red Rock Canyon that it is hard to believe how beautiful and diverse the desert can be!
After you’ve had some time to explore the visitor center and the 13-Mile Scenic Drive, write down a few things that
you liked best. You can tell a story about a hike you went on, draw a picture of an animal or mountain you saw, or write
a poem about your time at Red Rock Canyon. What sights, sounds, and smells did you experience?
20
Petroglyphs
Throughout Red Rock Canyon, there are special cultural resources known as petroglyphs and pictographs. Petroglyphs
are images that have been carved or pecked into the rocks many years ago by Native Americans, and pictographs are
the same but painted rather than pecked. These special places provide a link from the past to present day and are
clues to how Native Americans lived and used Red Rock Canyon. The images could have been representations of maps,
stories, rituals, trails, terrain, or important events.
Today, it is illegal to draw on or carve into the rocks. This would be call graffiti. Below is rock for you to draw your
own pictograph on without having to use a real rock. Keeping in mind what the Native Americans may have been doing
when drawing and carving their rock art, what would be a good image for you to draw? Imagine that 500 years from
now people will look at your “rock” to learn about our culture. What will you tell them with your picture? Write your
story in the space provided to go along with your picture.
REMEMBER, DO
NOT DRAW ON
REAL ROCKS!
21
Thinking About Red Rock Canyon
Setting aside areas of land for conservation brings up issues and questions. Here are examples of four
considerations. Pick one and answer the question.
What would happen if...
1` people decided to build houses instead of leaving open space for conservation?
2
no one took care of the Conservation Area?
3
Native American artifacts, fossils, and plants were collected by people?
Hmmmm... What
would happen if...
4
22
you climbed up a rock and couldn’t get down?
Conservation Crossword Puzzle
1
2
3
4
5
6
9
7
8
10
11
13
14
ACROSS
DOWN
1. Partnership between a fungus and algae
6. Pattern of curving, angled lines in sandstone
created by winds (2 words)
11. Rock made up of smaller rocks and pebbles
cemented together
13. Historical pack trail from Santa Fe to Los
Angeles (3 words)
14. “Spokes-tortoise” for Clark County’s Desert
Conservation Program who lives at the visitor
center (2 words)
2. Upper shell of tortoise
3. Channel cut into the desert floor by flash floods
4. Turtlehead Peak is in this mountain range
cemented together (2 words)
5. Swirl created with right combination of hot air,
cool air and dust (2 words)
7. Nevada state mammal (2 words)
8. Reptilian form of hibernation
9. Curved lower shell of tortoise
10. Erosion-carved pockets in rock that hold pools
of water
Look at the clues to discover which words fit together in the
crossword puzzle. Some answers can be found around the visitor center,
in this book, or by asking for help from a BLM Ranger or volunteer.
23
LICHEN TINAJAS WASH CROSSBEDS BRUMATION CARAPACE CONGLOMERATE BIGHORN SHEEP
MOJAVE MAX DUST DEVIL OLD SPANISH TRAIL PLASTRON LA MADRE
Mojave Max
Meet my friend Mojave Max! He is a
desert tortoise that lives at Red Rock
Canyon. He is a “spokes-tortoise”
for Red Rock Canyon and the Mojave
Desert, helping to educate people
about desert tortoises and the
importance of keeping our public
lands clean and protected.
Read the story below to find out more
about desert tortoises. After you
have read the story, help Scutey find
his way through the maze so he can
safely get to his burrow.
O
n a warm September morning, a desert
tortoise named “Scutey” used his egg
tooth to break out of his egg. He had
been waiting around six months to come
out of his egg, and today was the day! Scutey could
not wait to explore the place he would call home, but
most importantly, he had to find a burrow for safety.
When Scutey hatched, he had a soft shell that would
take five years to harden, making him an easy target
for predators. The burrow would protect Scutey from
any danger, such as hawks and ravens. It would also
protect him from the late summer heat. Scutey found
a nice shady spot with a burrow already there, just
his size. He decided to use that burrow until his shell
got too big for it, when he would have to find a new
burrow or dig one on his own. Desert tortoises like
their burrows to be a little snug so that when they
sleep through the winter, they can stay nice and warm
during cold months.
Scutey decided to go on a walk, a very slow
walk, to see what this place was all about. After a
few minutes, Scutey met a friendly ground squirrel
named “Squeaks.” Squeaks taught Scutey that this
place was called Red Rock Canyon, and it is part of
the Mojave Desert. “This is a really special place,
Scutey,” said Squeaks, “because desert tortoises only
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live in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.” “Wow!
You mean there are other desert tortoises?,” asked
Scutey. “Oh yes,” said Squeaks, “but not as many as
there used to be. You see, desert tortoises have been
around for millions of years, but recently things have
been happening to desert tortoises. Hawks, coyotes,
snakes, and people have been known to cause loss of
habitat. Now desert tortoises, just like you Scutey, are
a threatened species and are protected by the United
States Government. Here in Nevada, desert tortoises
are even more special because they are Nevada’s State
Reptile.” This made little Scutey feel very important,
but also a little nervous about the dangers he would
face in his life.
Scutey went along his way, discovering so many
great things about Red Rock Canyon. Soon he found
another animal munching on some beavertail cactus.
“Excuse me, what are you?,” Scutey asked. “Little
hatchling, I’m a desert tortoise just like you!,” the
bigger animal said. “But you’re so big!” “I’m 60 years
old, but I could actually live to be 80, or even 100
years old! I’ll prove I’m a desert tortoise just like you.
Look at the back of our shells, the carapace. I have 13
scutes and so do you, and our bodies are covered in
scales.” Scutey was still not convinced that this bigger
creature was a desert tortoise. After all, he didn’t
have an egg tooth and he was eating plants! “Am I
supposed to eat plants like cactus and flowers too?,” Scutey
thought. “I know what you’re thinking,” said the
bigger tortoise, “and, yes you are a herbivore that eats
plants too. That’s why we don’t have teeth, because
we don’t need to eat meat. We tortoises do have very
sharp, tough mouths though, so that we can eat right
through cacti and other desert plants such as globe
mallow and desert willow.”
Scutey decided he was ready to head back to his
burrow. He found some water puddles along the
way and drank until he was full. Desert tortoises
know that they will not see very much water in the
desert, so it’s always important to drink it when
they can find it. Tortoises can save their water in
Help the desert
their bladder for up to a whole year in case they
can’t find any new water!
Scutey crawled into his burrow, realizing that it
was still early in the day, but it was already too warm
for him outside his burrow. Scutey didn’t know it
yet, but he, like other desert tortoises, would spend
about 95 percent of his life in a burrow. Before long,
winter would be here, and it would be too cold for
desert tortoises. Scutey would enter into brumation,
a reptilian version of hibernating. He would be in a
sleep-like state for almost five months. But, until then,
Scutey would need to go out and learn all he could
about being a desert tortoise, eat as many healthy
plants as he could, and stay away from danger so he
could grow old, just like his new friend.
tortoise find its way to its burrow!
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Discovery Plaza Bingo
Part of the Red Rock Canyon experience is the visitor center, which is filled with information all about Red
Rock and the Mojave Desert. Throughout the visitor center, there are many bronze statues representing
some of the animals that can be found here. How many can you find? Use the “Bingo” table below to see if
you can find four animals in a line on the board. Perhaps you will be able to fill the entire card by finding
all the animals!
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Glossary
Adaptation: A change in a living thing which helps it to Omnivore: An animal that eats both plants and meat.
adjust to its natural surroundings. This usually happens
Organism: An individual animal, plant, or single-celled
over the course of many years.
life form.
Agave: A desert plant that grows a tall, fibrous stalk
in spring; used as an important food source for Native Paiute: The group of Native Americans who lived
Americans.
Archaeologist:
A person who studies the people,
customs, and life of ancient times.
in southern Nevada, southern Utah, and southeastern
California; these were principally nomadic hunter/
gatherers.
Petroglyphs: Rock carvings made by Native
Artifact: Any human-made object.
Americans.
Cactus: A desert plant with fleshy stems and branches. Pictograph: Paintings on rocks by Native Americans
It is often covered in prickly spines.
Camouflage:
A way of blending in to one’s environment by taking on colors, shapes, and other characteristics of the surroundings.
Carnivore: An animal that eats only meat.
Conservation: The official care and protection
of
natural and cultural resources.
Desert: A region receiving less than 10” of rain a year,
or