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The Baja California Desert (Spanish: Desierto de Baja California) is a desert ecoregion of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula….
| Baja California Desert | |
|---|---|
| Area | 76,296 km2 (29,458 sq mi) |
| Country | Mexico |
| States | Baja California and Baja California Sur |
| Conservation |
Why is Baja California a desert?
The San Felipe Desert lies near the eastern side of the Baja California peninsula, in the “rain shadow” of the mountains, so it is an extremely arid desert.
Is Baja a desert?
One of the largest and best preserved deserts in Mexico, the Baja California Desert is home to many endemic and endangered species. The peninsula’s isolation is largely responsible for the high levels of endemism and diversity.
What animals live in Baja California?
Jackrabbits, mice, squirrels, coyotes, mountain lions, foxes, desert bighorn sheep, and deer are all mammals that a keen traveler can spot. A number of turtles, snakes, and lizards can also be found in Baja.
Does the United States have a desert?
North America has four major deserts: Great Basin, Mohave, Chihuahuan and Sonoran. All but the Sonoran Desert have cold winters. Freezing temperatures are even more limiting to plant life than is aridity, so colder deserts are poorer in both species and life forms, especially succulents.
Do you need a passport for Baja California?
U.S. travelers who cross south into Baja California at land border crossings will not be required to show a U.S. passport. Most U.S. citizens who travel to Mexico already carry a U.S. passport. The U.S. has required citizens show their passport or passport card to return to the U.S. since June 2009.
Are there Foxes in Baja California?
Gray Fox. The common gray fox is widespread throughout North and Central America. If you are lucky, you might see some — foraging for fruits and insects around the deserts of Baja California. These foxes inhabit brushy woods, and fire that reduces these can decrease their habitat.
Are there skunks in Baja?
Many smaller carnivores may be encountered in Baja, among them the fox, lynx, bobcat, skunk, badger and racoon. One might even spot an occasional wolf, though sadly many were killed by ranchers in the mid 1900’s.
Where is the Baja California desert in Mexico?
Baja California Desert. The Baja California Desert is a desert ecoregion of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. This ecoregion occupies the western portion of the Baja California peninsula, and occupies most of the Mexican states of Baja California Sur and Baja California.
What kind of vegetation is in the Baja California desert?
North of 30° north latitude on the Pacific slope, the Baja California desert transitions to the California coastal sage and chaparral. The Sierra Juárez and San Pedro Mártir pine-oak forests occupy the higher Peninsular Ranges to the north, where a number of tree species are found including the near-threatened California fan palm.
What’s the difference between Baja California and Baja California Sur?
Sometimes informally referred to as Baja California Norte (North Lower California) to distinguish it from both the Baja California Peninsula, of which it forms the northern half, and Baja California Sur, the adjacent state that covers the southern half of the peninsula.
Which is the lowest desert in North America?
Death Valley is the lowest desert in the continent at 280 feet below the sea level and the most notorious area in the desert. 2. Sonoran Desert The Sonoran Desert occupies a large part of Baja California Sur, Baja California, and Sonora in Northwestern Mexico and California and Arizona in the southwestern parts of the US.