The Mojave Desert's 22,000 square miles spans four states -- California, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. This desert lies north of the Sonoran Desert. The Mojave River runs underground and the Colorado River is in the eastern region of the desert. Its rocky dry mountains and canyons experience less than 10 inches of rain annually. This rain shadow desert is home to the desert woodrat, Arizona pocket mouse, Inyo Mountains slender salamander, side winder, mule deer and panamint chipmunk.
The creosote bush grows abundantly in the Sonoran Desert and is the only habitat and food source to the creosote grasshopper. This desert's 120,000 square miles extend from the southwestern United States into Mexico. There are seven regions of this desert system -- Magdalena Region, Vizcaino Region, Central Gulf Coast, Foothills of Sonora, Plains of Sonora, Arizona Upland and Lower Colorado Valley. The Sonoran Desert is home to the Sonoran pronghorn, desert tortoise, white winged dove, elf owl, Arizona pocket mouse, Sonoran spotted whiptail, Scott's oriole, antelope jackrabbit and the horny toad.
The Great Basin Desert is the largest desert in the United States with more than 190,000 square miles of land. It spans five states -- Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho and Utah. This desert is a cold desert with little vegetation due to its lower temperatures. The Great Basin Desert is home to mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, kangaroo rats, yellow bellied marmots, elk and bats.
The Chihuahuan Desert is 200,000 square miles in size and is located in parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, as well as northern Mexico. The Chihuahuan Desert is considered to be one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems and is home to over 1,500 cactus species. Creosote bush is the most abundant vegetation in this desert system. This desert is home to the desert pocket mouse, Texas banded gecko, Scott's oriole and Nelson's pocket mouse.
