Signs of Life, Self-Guided Tour Introduction

12 tour stops around the Redhills Visitor Center make of the Signs of Life Tour.

NPS

Quick Facts

Significance:

Self Guided Tour Start

Designation:

NPS

Many people visit national parks to see wildlife. Visitors to Yellowstone will see bison and elk. Black bears roam the roads in Sequoia, and deer dot the meadows in Yosemite. Why don’t visitors to Saguaro National Park see animals such as these?

There are a couple of reasons. In Sequoia, if a bear wants to disappear, it walks a few yards into the woods, and it’s gone. The same is true for a deer in Yosemite, or elk in Yellowstone. But look out over our cactus “forest;” do you think you could still see a deer walking a fair distance away? It’s hard for a large animal to hide in this open habitat.

Another, more important reason you see less wildlife here is that the days are hot—sometimes very hot. Animals seek sheltered areas in which to pass the day and become active at night. Summer is the time for most animal activity in the desert, precisely the time of year we have the fewest number of visitors. Additionally, those visitors come during the day when the animals are hiding. The trick to finding out about wildlife in the desert parts of Saguaro National Park is to look for clues—signs of life that tell you what’s here.

What do we mean by “signs” of life? You can probably make a few good guesses:

• Footprints
• Droppings (“scat”)
• Burrows, holes
• Nests
• Webs
• Nibbled leaves or other plant parts

This does not mean you won’t see any wildlife! Keep your eyes open for lizards, butterflies, birds, insects, and spiders. Listen for bird songs or insect sounds. A lot of little creatures go about their lives throughout the day, even in the hottest times of the year, and can be seen by the careful observer.