Wild Life

	Death Valley Habitats Death Valley forms part of the Basin and Range Province of the Great Basin Desert. It is similar to other basins of the region, but is unique because it contains the lowest, hottest, driest location in the western hemisphere. Nearly 550 square miles of its area lie below sea level. Ecologically, its plants and animals are representative of the Mojave Desert. Most of the surface water in Death Valley is in saline ponds and marshes around the salt pan. Most of the year the bed of the Amargosa River is only a series of dry channels. The river brings some water into the southern end of the valley from desert areas to the east, but most of its flow is underground. Salt Creek, draining the northern arm of the valley, also has only short stretches of perennial surface flow.
Plant Life Even though of there is a harsh climate in Death Valley there are still more than 1,000 kinds of plants live in the park. These plants have adapted to what these parts of the desert. These plants have a variety of roots systems. Some of the roots go downward 10 times the height of an average person. Some plants have a root system that lie just below the surface but extends out far in all directions. Others have skins that allow very little evaporation. There is tolerant Pickleweed, Saltgrass and rushes are scattered around the springs and marshes at its edges. Tamarisks grow in the shade around some of the springs and in the inhabited areas at Furnace Creek. Mesquite popultate in this area where it is less salty. Creosote Bush grow in almost the entire part of the valley, at the lowest elevation lies Desert Holly. Cactus is rare at the south end of the valley but abundant the farther north you travel. Spring rains encourage a variety of desert wildflowers. As the elevation increases, so does the moisture. Which gives you the following on the mountain slopes, Juniper, Mountain Mahogany, Pinyon and other pine forests are prevalent, surrounded by peaks covered with snow.	Animals Different forms of wildlife have also learned to adapt to the extreme heat. The variety of animals that live in the desert are primarily nocturnal and are, not easily observed. But night is the time of you will see the small desert animals. There are numerous types of lizards, but snakes are rare. Several forms of desert Pupfish live in Salt Creek near the central part of Death Valley, Saratoga Spring. Pupfish are usually only found in North America, South America and the Caribbean. The Pupfish relies heavily on the ground water levels in the limestone caverns. The water levels have declined making the Pupfish a critically endangered species. You can also found rabbits and several types of rodents, including Antelope Squirrels, Kangaroo Rats and Desert Wood Rats, are preyed upon by Coyotes, Kit Foxes and Bobcats. The largest native mammal in the area is the Desert Bighorn Sheep. Small herds of the Bighorn are found at cooler, higher elevations but occasionally can be seen on the valley floor. There are more than 200 species of birds are known to visit the Death Valley area but few call this area home. Wild burros, descendants of animals lost or abandoned by prospectors and miners, became so numerous they overgrazed the natural vegetation and endangered native animals that are dependent upon it. The burros have, for the most part, been rounded up and removed from the park. Despite the harsh conditions you can still find a variety of plant and animal life throughout Death Valley.

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Death Valley Habitats

Death Valley forms part of the Basin and Range Province of the Great Basin Desert. It is similar to other basins of the region, but is unique because it contains the lowest, hottest, driest location in the western hemisphere. Nearly 550 square miles of its area lie below sea level. Ecologically, its plants and animals are representative of the Mojave Desert.

Most of the surface water in Death Valley is in saline ponds and marshes around the salt pan. Most of the year the bed of the Amargosa River is only a series of dry channels. The river brings some water into the southern end of the valley from desert areas to the east, but most of its flow is underground. Salt Creek, draining the northern arm of the valley, also has only short stretches of perennial surface flow.

Plant Life

Even though of there is a harsh climate in Death Valley there are still more than 1,000 kinds of plants live in the park. These plants have adapted to what these parts of the desert. These plants have a variety of roots systems. Some of the roots go downward 10 times the height of an average person. Some plants have a root system that lie just below the surface but extends out far in all directions. Others have skins that allow very little evaporation.

There is tolerant Pickleweed, Saltgrass and rushes are scattered around the springs and marshes at its edges. Tamarisks grow in the shade around some of the springs and in the inhabited areas at Furnace Creek.

Mesquite popultate in this area where it is less salty. Creosote Bush grow in almost the entire part of the valley, at the lowest elevation lies Desert Holly. Cactus is rare at the south end of the valley but abundant the farther north you travel. Spring rains encourage a variety of desert wildflowers.

As the elevation increases, so does the moisture. Which gives you the following on the mountain slopes, Juniper, Mountain Mahogany, Pinyon and other pine forests are prevalent, surrounded by peaks covered with snow.

coyote

Animals

Different forms of wildlife have also learned to adapt to the extreme heat. The variety of animals that live in the desert are primarily nocturnal and are, not easily observed. But night is the time of you will see the small desert animals.

There are numerous types of lizards, but snakes are rare. Several forms of desert Pupfish live in Salt Creek near the central part of Death Valley, Saratoga Spring. Pupfish are usually only found in North America, South America and the Caribbean. The Pupfish relies heavily on the ground water levels in the limestone caverns. The water levels have declined making the Pupfish a critically endangered species.
You can also found rabbits and several types of rodents, including Antelope Squirrels, Kangaroo Rats and Desert Wood Rats, are preyed upon by Coyotes, Kit Foxes and Bobcats.

The largest native mammal in the area is the Desert Bighorn Sheep. Small herds of the Bighorn are found at cooler, higher elevations but occasionally can be seen on the valley floor. There are more than 200 species of birds are known to visit the Death Valley area but few call this area home.

Wild burros, descendants of animals lost or abandoned by prospectors and miners, became so numerous they overgrazed the natural vegetation and endangered native animals that are dependent upon it. The burros have, for the most part, been rounded up and removed from the park.
Despite the harsh conditions you can still find a variety of plant and animal life throughout Death Valley.

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