Where to go if you want to see desert life and need a good reason not to get bitten by a rattlesnake
On Saturday, May 28, several UBRP students accompanied Carol Bender to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. As it had just rained (briefly) the day before, the temperature was tolerable, a perfect day for an outdoor field trip.
The Desert Museum, which is really more like a zoo than your typical museum, is set in the spectacular scenery of the Sonoran Desert. It boasts much of the native flora and fauna of this special desert. Following the outdoor trail through the museum premises, visitors can see lizards, coyotes, wolves, bears, mountain lions and other large felines, as well as javelinas, prairie dogs, birds (including hummingbirds!), and snakes. Although most of the mammals were visible in their enclosures, many of them were not very active, taking advantage of shady spots to sleep or relax. Scattered along the trail are themed ramadas that house small exhibits featuring reptiles and animal skulls, or simply provide an area to escape the sun.
Despite the popularity of the large mammal exhibits, the Desert Museum has something for everyone. For the plant enthusiasts, the trail is decorated with native cacti, trees, and shrubs. Sections of the trail expand into cactus, moth/butterfly and bee gardens. There are also underground “caves” that feature exhibits of natural history and geology (with some really amazing invertebrate fossils!). The reptile and invertebrates building is small and the animals are not especially well displayed, but it does house some beautiful representatives from the all-time coolest arthropod class, including tarantulas, scorpions, poisonous spiders, even an amblypygid and an uropygid.
Following our tour of the Desert Museum, we came upon a special demonstration on poisonous reptiles. Staff members of the museum displayed and talked about a Gila monster and two rattlesnakes. Among the many fascinating bits of information, we learned that a single small bottle of rattlesnake anti-venom costs $3000 and that the average person needs 30 bottles to inhibit the poison! Needless to say, I don’t think any of us are going to confront a rattlesnake if we see one this summer.
The Desert Museum makes a fun outing for anyone who is new to Arizona, or wants to learn more about the desert, or who appreciates the beauty of the desert. And if you forget to bring your water bottle, there are numerous (very cold) water fountains along the outdoor trail just begging you to take a drink.
Rebecca Duncan, Visiting UBRPer from Lewis & Clark College, Portland Oregon working in Dr. Mani Ramaswami’s lab, Molecular & Cellular Biology
On Saturday, May 28, several UBRP students accompanied Carol Bender to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. As it had just rained (briefly) the day before, the temperature was tolerable, a perfect day for an outdoor field trip.
this special desert. Following the outdoor trail through the museum premises, visitors can see lizards, coyotes, wolves, bears, mountain lions and other large felines, as well as javelinas, prairie dogs, birds (including hummingbirds!), and snakes. Although most of the mammals were visible in their enclosures, many of them were not very active, taking advantage of shady spots to sleep or relax. Scattered along the trail are themed ramadas that house small exhibits featuring reptiles and animal skulls, or simply provide an area to escape the sun.
exhibits, the Desert Museum has something for everyone. For the plant enthusiasts, the trail is decorated with native cacti, trees, and shrubs. Sections of the trail expand into cactus, moth/butterfly and bee gardens. There are also underground “caves” that feature exhibits of natural history and geology (with some really amazing invertebrate fossils!). The reptile and invertebrates building is small and the animals are not especially well displayed, but it does house some beautiful representatives from the all-time coolest arthropod class, including tarantulas, scorpions, poisonous spiders, even an amblypygid and an uropygid.
Following our tour of the Desert Museum, we came upon a special demonstration on poisonous reptiles. Staff members of the museum displayed and talked about a Gila monster and two rattlesnakes. Among the many fascinating bits of information, we learned that a single small bottle of rattlesnake anti-venom costs $3000 and that the average person needs 30 bottles to inhibit the poison! Needless to say, I don’t think any of us are going to confront a rattlesnake if we see one this summer.