Chihuahuan Desert

The Chihuahuan Desert is the second largest desert in North America, at approximately 362,600 square kilometers. On its American side, it occupies regions in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. But the majority of the desert is in Mexico, occupying the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Zacatecas, and Nuevo León. It is geographically complex, containing numerous basins and mountain ranges, and is one of the most biologically diverse deserts in the world.

Due to its relatively high elevation, the Chihuahuan Desert's temperatures are typically more mild than other deserts in the area, ranging from 35-40 degrees centigrade. It receives and annual average of about 10 inches of rain, typically during the late summer "monsoon" period.

Though the region has not been as closely studied as other deserts, it is considered biologically diverse due to its variety of indigenous plant life including Agave, Creosote Bush, Mesquite Tree|Mesquite, Prickly Pear, Sotol, Peyote, and its characteristic Lechuguilla. In spite of this variety, conservationists are concerned with the amount of grazing that has damaged local plant populations.