Creosote Bush Scrub
Strong-scented creosote bush and bursage dominate much of the Mojave. Low-lying expanses are covered by these widely spaced shrubs. Creosote bushes are said to be some of the world's oldest living things; some colonies in the Mojave Desert are 11,500 years old. Other plants in this zone include desert mallow, brittlebush, and hedgehog cactus. There are several types of cholla, diamond (pencil), silver and teddy bear to name a few.Roadrunners nest in this type of scrub. You may spot one as it darts between areas of cover at up to 15 miles per hour. They can fly but seem to prefer running.
This is the home of the desert tortoise, which uses sharp claws to dig burrows in the sandy soil. Designated an endangered species, desert tortoises and their habitat are protected by federal law. Watch for them early in the morning and after rain storms, especially in spring and summer. Observe them from a distance, but don't bother or touch them. Tortoises are susceptable to diseases that can be transmitted through human contact.
Also see:
Desert Wildlife
Mojave Desert Cactus Guide
Old Woman Mountains Wilderness
Creosote bush scrub covers the lower elevations, mixing with desert scrub at the middle elevations, while at the highest elevations grows a juniper-pinyon ...
Whipple Mountains Wilderness
Sonoran creosote bush scrub and the Sonoran thorn forest decorate the area. In addition, dense stands of palo verde, ironwood, smoke tree and cholla, ...
Bajada Nature Trail
Click the photo to continue bajada photo Bajada, creosote bush scrub habitat. Also see desert wash habitat. Main · Features · Wildlife · Plants · Geology ...
Mojave Round-tailed Ground Squirrel - Desert Wildlife
The round-tailed ground squirrel usually lives in burrows within creosote bush scrub habitat. Their color may vary from light brown to a dark reddish-brown. ...
Surprise Canyon Wilderness
Creosote bush scrub and desert holly dot the alluvial fans, while the rocky canyon walls support the endangered Panamint daisy. Cottonwood and willows grow ...
Darwin Falls Wilderness
Vegetation is typical of a creosote bush scrub community with Joshua tree woodland at higher elevations. Wildlife species include nesting and foraging ...
Nopah Range Wilderness
Creosote bush scrub cacti, yucca and other desert shrub species cover the bajadas, giving the mountains their barren character. ...
Golden Valley Wilderness
... the desert tortoise and Mojave ground squirrel. Vegetation consists primarily of a creosote bush scrub community with Joshua trees and numerous annuals. ...
Grass Valley Wilderness
Vegetation is typical of a creosote bush scrub community with a scattering of Joshua trees. Wildlife values in the wilderness include raptor foraging in and ...
Manly Peak Wilderness
Vegetation changes with altitude, from creosote bush scrub at the lower elevations to pinyon and juniper woodlands on the higher peaks. ...
Stepladder Mountains Wilderness
Flat bajadas covered by creosote bush scrub form the remaining 85 percent of the area. A small stand of crucifixion thorn and a large, dense stand of ...
El Paso Mountains Wilderness
Vegetation primarily consists of creosote bush scrub community with Joshua trees on the western side of the mountain. ...
Rhyolite Ghost Town
Primary Desert Wildlife - Habitat > Creosote Bush Scrub External Links; Goldwell Museum · Beatty Nevada Chamber of Commerce · Exploring Rhyolite ...
Desert Tortoise - Desert Wildlife
Their habitat can range from sandy creosote bush scrub to bajadas, as well as alluvial fans, ... Creosote Bush Scrub; Desert Wash; Joshua Tree Woodland ...
Natural Science: Barren Desert
Joshua TreeCreosote bush scrub habitat Note: In this area alone, at first glance appearing vacant and void of life, I've personally spotted desert tortoise, coyotes, ...
Darwin Falls Wilderness
Vegetation is typical of a creosote bush scrub community with Joshua tree woodland at higher elevations. Wildlife species include nesting and foraging ...
Creosote bush scrub habitat - Western Mojave Desert
Creosote bush scrub habitat - Death Valley
Creosote bush scrub habitat - Mojave Preserve
