Starting our day at Saguaro (Sah-Wah-Row) with a guided hike from a volunteer Naturalist we learned something about virtually every plant and animal we encountered along the way, even ones we didn't. The added possibility of stumbling even slightly and receiving a cactus spine in our shin or ass ensured we were an attentive audience.
To our surprise we talked only briefly about the cactus after which the park is named, learning it can grow up to 60 feet tall, have as many as 25 arms and live over 200 years. A desert Woodpecker so admires this incredible plant it makes it its home, puncturing holes all over the cactus and walking along it's spines with no apparent problem.
Along the hike our guide pointed out a Pack Rat's nest which was made of all sorts of desert debris, particularly cactus leaves. Much like humans, the female Pack Rat's nests are organized and neat, whereas the males are a big pile of trash. (Then again perhaps we should not read too much into the cleanliness of Pack Rats. After all archaeologists love them because they not only collect objects archaeologist find interesting, but by also pissing on them, the pack rats preserve historical objects for generations).
The Naturalist also shared that a week ago he had startled a sleeping rattlesnake who had reacted by striking his boot. Though no actual damage was done, I think my response would be quite different than his. Instead of stopping to take a picture of the angry snake, I would have immediately ran.
Though advised that the hike we had planned had extreme increases in elevation, we decided to give it a try anyway. After a significant incline, but pleasant hike, we sat atop a rock overlooking the valley, cactus carpeting everything but the path. We left the park with a much better appreciation of the importance every plant and animal brings to its environment, any environment-even a desert.
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