Take a Walk

The grasslands habitat usually consists of grasses without much other vegetation. Over the years, the grasslands have become invaded with prickly pear, cholla, ocotillo, mesquite trees, and acacia bushes. The grasslands are home to hoofstock, such as mule deer, bison, pronghorn, and elk (in the winter).

The prairie dog exhibit is a popular destination in the Zoo where visitors can enjoy watching these active animals eat and play. These rodents make a barking sound to warn each other of potential danger, leading to their popular name “dogs.” Prairie dogs will touch their teeth as a way of recognizing each other. In the spring, you might be lucky enough to see the young pups.

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park was the first zoo (2006) to exhibit endangered purebred Bolson tortoises. Scientists once thought these North America's largest tortoises were extinct until a small population was discovered in 1959 in Chihuahua, Mexico. During the warmer season, the tortoise hatchlings are in a separate exhibit near the adults.

Mule deer are found throughout the Chihuahuan Desert. They are named for their large mule-like ears that help them listen for predators. Besides grass, they are browsers and eat various vegetation, including mesquite leaves and beans, catclaw and Romer acacia, fairy dusters, prickly pears, ocotillo leaves, and other shrubs and trees.

Bison are often mistakenly called buffalo, which is an Asian and African animal without a hump. Male bison can weigh 2,000 pounds and stand 6 feet high. Bison eat 1 ½ percent of their weight in food every day. In the spring, they shed their wooly-looking winter coats and can look very fuzzy. 

Pronghorn are the fastest (about 54 mph) land animals in North America. They can maintain a running speed of 40 mph for miles and can reach up to 60 mph in short sprints. Both the male and female have horns but are not classified as true antelope. These unique animals grow a horn sheath made of fused hairs, which are shed in October or November.

Elk is a member of the deer family. They are larger than deer but smaller than moose. The males can weigh 1,000 pounds. The males lose their antlers in February or March and immediately begin growing new ones at a 1-inch rate per day. The velvet covering the antlers is full of blood vessels and nerves. During this time, the antlers are very sensitive and easily damaged. After the antlers reach full growth in midsummer, the blood vessels dry up, and the antlers become much lighter and calcified like bone. To prepare for the rutting (mating season), the bulls rub the velvet off their antlers and sharpen their tines. 

Over millions of years, wind and water have eroded mountains into canyonlands, which provide good habitat for wildlife. Our natural-looking Mountain Canyon exhibit is home to secretive and well-camouflaged mountain lions and bobcats. These predators are known for their ability to hide on the rock ledges or in the vegetation where they wait for deer, elk, rabbits, and other mammals.

When nearing the end of your walk, you will find a greenhouse that features both native and exotic succulents from around the world.