FAQS:
Are cactus spines poisonous?
No, this is just a myth. Getting stuck by cactus spines isn't one of life's more pleasant experiences, but when it happens to you--and if you spend time outdoors in the desert, sooner or later, inevitably, it will--at least being poisoned is something you won't need to worry about. Still, try to remove spines right away, and not just because they hurt. Left in the skin they're more likely to cause local inflammation as your immune system reacts both to the spines themselves and to any bacteria residing on their surface. With all deep puncture wounds tetanus infection is a remote but real possibility. Cacti are one more reason for desert dwellers to keep their booster shots up to date.
Why don't I see very many animals when I hike in the desert?
Perhaps because you and the animals are on different schedules. Many of us desert humans follow a nine-to-five routine, a way of life that would be utterly impractical if it weren't for air conditioners and evaporative coolers. Other desert animals aren't constrained by our peculiar customs; they follow the dictates of the climate. If we want to meet them in their natural habitats we need to set our schedules by their biological clocks. Most desert birds have two main activity periods: a major peak in early morning and a minor one in the evening.
If I find a desert tortoise while I'm hiking, would it be all right to take it home as a pet?
No, you shouldn't take any animal from the wild as a pet, especially one as uncommon as a desert tortoise. Besides, it would be illegal. Desert tortoises are protected by state laws everywhere they naturally occur in the United States--and in some areas by federal law as well. In fact, not only shouldn't you take a wild tortoise home, you shouldn't even pick one up.
What is valley fever?
Valley fever is a usually mild (but sometimes serious) disease caused by a fungus that lives in desert soils
Is a Javelina a pig?
Javelina resemble pigs for essentially the same reason people resemble their cousins: they have common ancestors. However, the last common ancestors of pigs and peccaries lived tens of millions of years ago, early in the Age of Mammals Cenozoic Era. By about thirty million years ago pigs and peccaries were already trotting down separate evolutionary paths. How closely are pigs and peccaries related? To put it in perspective, the human family (Hominidae) and the ape family (Pongidae) had common ancestors much more recently--well within the last ten million years. By that standard pigs and peccaries are considerably more distantly related than people and chimpanzees!
No, this is just a myth. Getting stuck by cactus spines isn't one of life's more pleasant experiences, but when it happens to you--and if you spend time outdoors in the desert, sooner or later, inevitably, it will--at least being poisoned is something you won't need to worry about. Still, try to remove spines right away, and not just because they hurt. Left in the skin they're more likely to cause local inflammation as your immune system reacts both to the spines themselves and to any bacteria residing on their surface. With all deep puncture wounds tetanus infection is a remote but real possibility. Cacti are one more reason for desert dwellers to keep their booster shots up to date.
Why don't I see very many animals when I hike in the desert?
Perhaps because you and the animals are on different schedules. Many of us desert humans follow a nine-to-five routine, a way of life that would be utterly impractical if it weren't for air conditioners and evaporative coolers. Other desert animals aren't constrained by our peculiar customs; they follow the dictates of the climate. If we want to meet them in their natural habitats we need to set our schedules by their biological clocks. Most desert birds have two main activity periods: a major peak in early morning and a minor one in the evening.
If I find a desert tortoise while I'm hiking, would it be all right to take it home as a pet?
No, you shouldn't take any animal from the wild as a pet, especially one as uncommon as a desert tortoise. Besides, it would be illegal. Desert tortoises are protected by state laws everywhere they naturally occur in the United States--and in some areas by federal law as well. In fact, not only shouldn't you take a wild tortoise home, you shouldn't even pick one up.
What is valley fever?
Valley fever is a usually mild (but sometimes serious) disease caused by a fungus that lives in desert soils
Is a Javelina a pig?
Javelina resemble pigs for essentially the same reason people resemble their cousins: they have common ancestors. However, the last common ancestors of pigs and peccaries lived tens of millions of years ago, early in the Age of Mammals Cenozoic Era. By about thirty million years ago pigs and peccaries were already trotting down separate evolutionary paths. How closely are pigs and peccaries related? To put it in perspective, the human family (Hominidae) and the ape family (Pongidae) had common ancestors much more recently--well within the last ten million years. By that standard pigs and peccaries are considerably more distantly related than people and chimpanzees!