Reptiles
Gila Monster NPS Photo Summer is the time to be in the Monument for wildlife viewing, especially if you are looking for reptiles. Reptiles hibernate in the cooler winters, waiting until surface temperatures rise to the 80ºs or 90ºs before becoming active. They can purposefully regulate their body temperatures by basking on trails, resting under bushes, or taking advantage of microclimates. Count yourself lucky if you have the chance to see a rattlesnake, follow a gila monster, or accidentally come upon a desert tortoise.
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Did You Know?
Most of the year this night-blooming cereus cactus looks like ugly brown sticks, but for one night only the flower opens and smells like a rose. To see one bloom is one of the greatest treats in the Sonoran Desert