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Desert Bighorn SheepThe Chihuahuan Desert offers habitat for bighorn sheep, mule deer and pronghorn antelope. Predators including bears, mountain lions, coyotes and wolves travel through the desert hills. - Chaparral, cactus and grasses provide food and shelter for small animals including the Chihuahua pocket mouse, desert jackrabbit, kangaroo rat and ground squirrel. Endangered species like the Mexican prairie dog make their homes here.
- Native lizards, geckos and whiptails thrive in this desert. Snakes slithering through the Chihuahuan landscape include sidewinders, rattlesnakes, the Trans-Pecos rat snake and cat-eyed snake. Sun-seeking soft-shelled turtles burrow to hide.
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Elf OwlOver 300 bird species live in the Chihuahuan region. Migratory birds move in and out with the seasons. Notable birds include the roadrunner, which prefers running to flying, and the small elf owl that plays dead when in danger. - Bats, flying mammals of the desert, consume thousands of insects. Diverse bats perch in trees, shrubs, rock crevices and caves. Voracious eaters like the pallid bat climb and crawl to get grasshoppers, scorpions and large crickets.
