NATURAL HISTORY OF THE RANCH

The Ranch is located on the northeastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert in southern New Mexico.  According to the Chihuahuan Desert Homepage, The Chihuahuan Desert is the most eastern and southern desert of the four deserts in North America.  The other deserts are the Great Basin Desert, the Sonoran Desert, and the Mojave Desert.  It is considered a high desert with elevations ranging from about 1970 to 5500 ft.  The summers are hot and the winters cool to cold.  Occasional winter frosts occur and in the north, there can be hard freezes. 

Indicator plants in the Chihuahuan Desert include shrubs such as creosotebush, mesquite, agave, and ocotillo. The agave, Agave lecheguilla is the only plant endemic (limited to the area) to the Chihuahuan Desert.  Socorro, New Mexico marks the approximate northern-most extension of these plants and the Chihuahuan Desert (Chihuahuan Desert Homepage).

The Chihuahuan Desert is rich in animal life.  Some typical animals include the Desert Cottontail, Black-tailed Jack Rabbit , Cactus Mouse, Cactus Wren, Greater Roadrunner, Coachwhip Snake, New Mexican Whiptail Lizard, Red-Spotted Toad, and Tiger Salamander.

The organisms mentioned above and other aspects of the natural resources of The Ranch and the nearby region are discussed on the following pages.  Click on the Taxa to visit the appropriate page.