The largest desert in North America is the Chihuahua, covering 200,000 square miles. A part of this vast desert, in western Texas, could be defined by following the southwestern border of the southern tip to the northwestern border's corner.
The desert summer in Texas is extremely hot, with high temperatures in triple digits. The winters are mild comparatively. It is cool through the day with a modest chill when the sun goes down. The area is quite dry, with most areas annually receiving less than 10 inches of rain. Some rain falls in the winter months, but most comes during the hot summer.
Texas' desert has two main rivers and a bordering plateau to the east. The rivers are the Rio Grande and the Pecos. The defining eastern border is the Edwards Plateau. The elevation ranges from 1,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level. Most of this is above 3,500 feet. The land has valleys and broad basins with some low mountain ranges and mesas. There are no dramatic peaks to punctuate the landscape, but the characteristic mesas against the lower valleys offer some contrast.
Biologically speaking, western Texas is not very diverse. Though yuccas and agaves are somewhat prominent in the region, it is the ubiquitous creosote bush that dominates the landscape. This bush most clearly identifies the Texas desert. In the hillier regions there are some oak-juniper woodlands. In the loftiest peaks, even coniferous forests exist.
The animals of the Texas desert range from small bugs to larger canines. There are arachnid black widow spiders and scorpions as well as insects like grasshoppers and beetles. Among the more imposing small creatures are the horned lizard and viper, with sharp barbs on their heads. The intermediate-sized animals are desert hogs and armadillos. Many coyotes live in the Texas desert and the big horn ram population is increasing.
