A blanket of fog melts away; a forest of giant succulent plants emerges. Morning grows still and hot, shadows shorten. Life goes on, however slow, in the heat of the day. As night and temperatures fall, the action starts. Owls hoot. Coyotes yowl. Even the plants wake up. Giant white flowers unfurl on the towering cardón. A bat swoops in, trading pollination services for nectar. Presented with the challenges of little rain, searing heat, and driving winds, desert life adapts.
In the Future Exhibits
- Relax in the rock pavilion and see the desert go from day to night.
- Hunt for live scorpions with a blacklight during the night.
- Use infrared goggles to see like a nocturnal rattlesnake and hunt for kangaroo rats.
- Pump up a baby cardón cactus and see how it stores water to beat the heat.
Habitat Journey | Ocean | Coast | Shrublands | Mountains | Mine Tunnel | Rainshadow Desert | Colorado River Delta | Midriff Islands | Gulf of California | Central Desert | Cape Region
Future Permanent Exhibits |
Exhibits
Search | Site Index | Home | Museum Guide(PDF)