The Sonoran Desert is considered as a North America's largest and hottest desert with surface area of 311,000 square kilometers.
The desert covers large parts of the Southwestern United States and of Northwestern Mexico. Sonoran Desert passes through the western region of the United Nations.
Sonoran Desert is surrounded by the Sonoran Floristic region of the Madrean Region in southwestern North America which is a part of the Holarctic Kingdom. The desert comprises of variety of animals and plants such as Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) and Organ Pipe cactus (Stenocereus thurberi).
The Sonoran Desert is located in the western states of Arizona and California. Its area covers southwestern Arizona and the southeastern part of California and part of Mexico. It is over 100,000 sq. miles and is named after the state in Mexico. It has the distinction of being the most bio-diverse deserts in North America.
This desert is divided into 7 distinct parts based on vegetation, climate and geology. Because of its location, it not only has rivers but also mountains which play a vital role in supplying water and keeping different species alive. Quite a lot of the flora are tropical in origin and it is famous for the Saguaro cactus. This delicate ecosystem has a number of plants and animals which are under threat of extinction.
The Sonoran desert has the distinction of being pretty wet – it receives anywhere between 3 – 16 inches of rain a year. It rains during two seasons, summer and winter. Average high temperatures in the winter reach 52˚F and 85˚F and above in the summer. In some parts of Mexico, it can get as high as 134˚F even in the shade.
Since the Sonoran desert covers a vast area across 3 states and two countries, people can travel from 200 feet to 4000 feet above sea level.
Since this desert has a varied topography, rivers and rainfall, different types of soil are present. Expect to see sandy and alkaline soils in sand dunes and parts of the area and Pinacate soils too. Igneous and metamorphic materials support all kinds of plant and animal life forms.
Creosote bushes, White Bursage, Acacia, prickly pear, Larrea scrub, Burro Bush, Ironwood and Mesquite are some of the subtrees that can be found in this area. The Saguaro Cactus is the most well know and easily recognizable species of cactus in this area. Look for Cholla, Organ pipe and Silver Dollar cacti.
Of all the deserts in N. America and the world, this is considered one of the most interesting as it has a variety of plants and animals. The Sonoran desert has over 2000 species of plants, over 300 types of birds, more than 90 kinds of reptiles and 20 types of amphibians. The reason for such biodiversity is because of the rain it receives through 2 different seasons. Some of the well-known desert bugs are stinkbugs of all kinds – Say’s, Creosote, Spined, Painted stink bug and so on. There are thousands of species which have adapted to the conditions and thrive in this ecosystem.
Arizona has botanical gardens in Scottsdale, Tucson and Phoenix. Visitors get a look at the beautiful plants and landscapes that form the desert. Information on living in the desert, conservation, tours and nature photography and many other events are available.
There are quite a few options for those who want to experience the Sonoran desert and all that it has to offer. Take a tour and check out the high desert, waterfalls, underground rivers, canyons and also ancient Indian villages. Customized jeep tours along with knowledgeable tour guides are available year round.
| Countries | United States, Mexico |
| States | Arizona, California, Sonora, Sinaloa, Baja California |
| Part of | North American Desert ecoregion |
| Borders on | Mojave Desert (north) Colorado Plateau (north and east) Peninsular Ranges (west). |
| Lowest point | |
| - location | Salton Sea |
| - elevation | −226 ft (-69 m) |
| Biome | Deserts and xeric shrublands |
| Plant | Madrean Floristic Region |
The Desert’s location latitude and longitude is 25° to 33° North and 105° to 118° west.
The water bodiesnext to Sonoran desert are Salton Sea, Gulf of California and Pacific Ocean and mountains located near to this are Mount Kofa and Mount Catalina, Mount Catalina.
The Sonoran Desert includes
| Location | Maricopa County & Pinal County, Arizona, USA |
| Nearest city | Phoenix, AZ |
| Coordinates | 33°0′6″N 112°27′18″W |
| Area | 496,400 acres (200,886 ha) |
| Established | January 17, 2001 |
| Governing body | U.S. Bureau of Land Management |
| Acer grandidentatum – Bigtooth Maple | Nolina microcarpa – Sacahuista |
| Amaranthus palmeri – Carelessweed | Oenothera elata – Hooker's Evening Primrose |
| Anemopsis californica – Yerba Mansa | Opuntia engelmannii – Cactus Apple |
| Arctostaphylos pungens – Pointleaf Manzanita | Opuntia ficus-indica – Barbary Fig |
| Arundo donax – Giant Reed | Papaver somniferum – Opium Poppy |
| Brassica tournefortii – Asian Mustard | Parkinsonia florida – Blue Paloverde |
| Calandrinia ciliata – Fringed Redmaids | Parkinsonia microphylla – Yellow Paloverde |
| Capsella bursa-pastoris – Shepherd's Purse | Passiflora caerulea – Bluecrown Passionflower |
| Carnegiea gigantea – Saguaro | Passiflora foetida var. arizonica – Arizona Passionflower |
| Ceanothus fendleri – Fendler's Ceanothus | Phaseolus acutifolius var. tenuifolius – Tepary Bean |
| Celtis ehrenbergiana – Spiny Hackberry | Phemeranthus aurantiacus – Orange Flameflower |
| Celtis laevigata var. reticulata – Netleaf Hackberry | Physalis acutifolia – Sharpleaf Groundcherry |
| Chamaesaracha coronopus – Greenleaf Five Eyes | Pinus discolor – Border Pinyon |
| Chorispora tenella – Crossflower | Plantago ovata – Desert Indianwheat |
| Claytonia perfoliata – Miner's Lettuce | Populus fremontii – Fremont Cottonwood |
| Conyza canadensis – Canadian Horseweed | Populus tremuloides – Quaking Aspen |
| Cucurbita foetidissima – Missouri Gourd | Porophyllum ruderale – Yerba Porosa |
| Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa – Buck-horn Cholla | Portulaca oleracea – Little Hogweed |
| Cylindropuntia spinosior – Walkingstick Cactus | Proboscidea louisianica – Ram's Horn |
| Dasylirion wheeleri – Common Sotol | Prosopis velutina – Velvet Mesquite |
| Daucus pusillus – American Wild Carrot | Quercus gambelii – Gambel Oak |
| Dichelostemma capitatum – Bluedicks | Ratibida columnifera – Upright Prairie Coneflower |
| Echinocereus spp. – Claret-cup Cactus | Rhus trilobata – Skunkbush Sumac |
| Encelia farinosa – Brittlebush | Robinia neomexicana – New Mexico Locust |
| Ephedra trifurca – Longleaf Jointfir | Rosa woodsii – Woods' Rose |
| Ferocactus wislizeni – Candy Barrelcactus | Rumex hymenosepalus – Canaigre Dock |
| Fouquieria splendens – Ocotillo | Salix gooddingii – Goodding's Willow |
| Helianthus annuus – Common Sunflower | Salvia columbariae – Chia |
| Helianthus petiolaris – Prairie Sunflower | Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis – American Black Elderberry |
| Hoffmannseggia glauca – Indian Rushpea | Sisymbrium irio – London Rocket |
| Hyptis emoryi – Desert Lavender | Solanum fendleri – Fendler's Horsenettle |
| Juglans major – Arizona Walnut | Sonchus asper – Spiny Sowthistle |
| Juniperus deppeana – Alligator Juniper | Sonchus oleraceus – Common Sowthistle |
| Juniperus monosperma – Oneseed Juniper | Taraxacum officinale – Common Dandelion |
| Justicia californica – Beloperone | Thelesperma megapotamicum – Hopi Tea Greenthread |
| Linum lewisii – Lewis Flax | Trianthema portulacastrum – Desert Horsepurslane |
| Lycium pallidum – Pale Desert-thorn | Tribulus terrestris – Puncturevine |
| Malva parviflora – Cheeseweed Mallow | Veronica anagallis-aquatica – Water Speedwell |
| Marrubium vulgare – Horehound | Viola canadensis – Canadian White Violet |
| Medicago lupulina – Black Medick | Vitis arizonica – Canyon Grape |
| Medicago sativa – Alfalfa | Yucca baccata – Banana Yucca |
| Melilotus officinalis – Yellow Sweetclover | Yucca elata – Soaptree Yucca |
| Mimulus guttatus – Seep Monkeyflower | Yucca madrensis – Sierra Madre Yucca |
| Nasturtium officinale – Watercress | |
| Country | Mexico, United States |
| Region | North America |
| Coordinates | 30°32′26″N 103°50′14″W |
| Highest point | |
| - elevation | 3,700 m (12,139 ft) |
| Lowest point | |
| - elevation | 600 m (1,969 ft) |
| Length | 1,285 km (798 mi) |
| Width | 440 km (273 mi) |
| Area | 362,600 km2 (140,001 sq mi) |
| Date opened | September 1, 1952 |
| Location | Tucson, Arizona |
| Coordinates | |
| Land area | 98 acres (40 ha) (21 acres (8.5 ha) accessible to the public) |
| Number of animals | 12,370 |
| Number of species | Over 230 |
| Annual visitors | 400,000 |
| Memberships |
AZA, AAM, APGA |
| Website | www.desertmuseum.org |
| Aphonopelma chalcodes | Desert woodrat | Merriam's kangaroo rat | Sonoran collared lizard |
| Arizona night lizard | Desert kangaroo rat | Mesquite mouse | Sonoran desert toad |
| Allen's big-eared bat | Euproserpinus phaeton | Mourning dove | Sonoran mountain kingsnake |
| California leaf-nosed bat | Ferruginous pygmy owl | Arizona pocket mouse | Sonoran sidewinder |
| Lesser long-nosed bat | Gilded flicker | Cactus mouse | Black-chinned sparrow |
| Mexican big-eared bat | Fringe-toed lizard | Bezy's night lizard | Bendire's thrasher |
| Mexican long-tongued bat | Gila monster | Ovis canadensis nelsoni | Curve-billed thrasher |
| Pallid bat | Gila topminnow | Spotted owl | Colorado River toad |
| Spotted bat | Black-tailed gnatcatcher | Pacific burrowing wasp | Abert's towhee |
| Bell's sparrow | Lawrence's goldfinch | Collared peccary | Trans-Pecos striped whiptail |
| Lark bunting | Round-tailed ground squirrel | Phainopepla | Urosaurus graciosus |
| Varied bunting | Hellinsia triton | Pinacate beetle | Bell's vireo |
| Canyon wren | Desert horned lizard | Pituophis catenifer affinis | Cassin's vireo |
| Chionactis palarostris | Flat-tail horned lizard | Mountain plover | Gray vireo |
| Common desert centipede | Anna's hummingbird | Pyrrhuloxia | Plumbeous vireo |
| Desert cottontail | Black-chinned hummingbird | Gambel's quail | Lucy's warbler |
| Crotalus atrox | Broad-billed hummingbird | Western Diamondback Rattlesnake | Western pipistrelle |
| Crotalus cerastes cercobombus | Costa's hummingbird | Chihuahuan raven | Western pygmy blue |
| Crotalus cerastes laterorepens | Antelope jackrabbit | Ring-tailed cat | Chihuahuan Striped Whiptail |
| Crotalus mitchellii | Black-tailed jackrabbit | Greater roadrunner | Chihuahuan spotted whiptail |
| Crotalus scutulatus | Mexican black kingsnake | Sagebrush sparrow | Desert grassland whiptail lizard |
| Crotalus tigris | List of Wildlife Refuges of the Lower Colorado River Valley | Sauromalus ater | Trans-Pecos Striped Whiptail |
| Desert bighorn sheep | Litaneutria minor | Sceloporus magister | White-throated woodrat |
| Desert box turtle | Litaneutria obscura | Scolopendra polymorpha | Gila woodpecker |
| Desert iguana | Zebra-tailed lizard | Smerinthus saliceti | Cactus wren |
| Desert pupfish | Loxosceles deserta | Common Mexican tree frog | Yuma myotis |
| Desert tortoise | Mearns coyote | Sonora mud turtle | |
| Amsinckia menziesii | Eriophyllum lanosum | Nama demissum |
| Anemone tuberosa | Galium aparine | Nicotiana obtusifolia |
| Bahia absinthifolia | Geraea canescens | Penstemon parryi |
| Brickellia coulteri | Glandularia gooddingii | Physaria purpurea |
| Carlowrightia arizonica | Haplophyton crooksii | Proboscidea parviflora |
| Centaurium calycosum | Isocoma tenuisecta | Rafinesquia neomexicana |
| Cryptantha albida | Justicia californica | Salvia columbariae |
| Cryptantha angustifolia | Machaeranthera gracilis | Senna covesii |
| Daucus pusillus | Malacothrix californica | Senna wislizeni |
| Datura inoxia | Marina parryi | Silene antirrhina |
| Dichelostemma capitatum | Melampodium leucanthum | Sphaeralcea ambigua |
| Encelia farinosa | Monoptilon bellioides | Trixis californica |
| Couch's Spadefoot | Desert Tortoise | Horned Lizards | Western Shovelnose Snake |
| Sonoran Desert Toad | Western Banded Gecko | Sand Lizards | Western Hognose Snake |
| Sonoran Green Toad | Whiptails | Western Blind Snake | Western Patchnose Snake |
| Red Spotted Toad | Gila Monster | Rosy Boa | Gopher Snake |
| Canyon Treefrog | Desert Iguana | Garter Snake | Night Snake |
| Northern Casque-headed Frog | Chuckwalla | Common Kingsnake | Lyre Snake |
| Leopard Frog | Common Collared Lizard | Longnose Snake | Arizona Coral Snake |
| Western Box Turtle | Spiny Lizards | Coachwhip | Rattlesnakes |
| Sonoran Mud Turtle | Tree Lizard | Sonoran Whipsnake | |
 Sonoran Desert Grasshopper Mouse |
 Sonoran Desert Jaguar |
 Sonoran Desert Kingsnake |
 Sonoran Desert Kit Fox |
 Sonoran Desert Landscape |
 Sonoran Desert Map USA |
 Sonoran Desert Rodents |
 Sonoran Desert Yellow Flowers |