Canyon lands National Park still preserves the undisturbed and one of the last areas belonging to the Colorado Plateau. This plateau is a geographical province that covers most of the Colorado River and its various tributaries. This landscape is carved out of huge sedimentary rocks. The natural features possessed by the canyons, rivers and mesas of this landscape are remarkable. This landscape has a desert ecosystem that is unique and rich in desert plants and animals. Canyon lands known as ‘high desert’ because of its high elevation above the sea level experiences extreme climatic conditions. The summers are very hot and the winters are bitterly cold. This region receives only ten inches of rainfall every year. The temperature of this region on a normal fluctuates to at least 50 degrees.

Animals in the canyon landscape

Though the canyon lands region seems lifeless there are many desert animals that live in this area despite the extreme temperatures. Most of the animals are nocturnal in nature. They prefer to hunt at night in order to avoid the heat of the day. Wood rats, foxes and mountain lions are some of the examples of nocturnal animals. There animals active during dawn and dusk. These animals are called crepuscular. Other desert animals like the squirrel, chipmunks and lizards are diurnal animals. Most of the animals have a certain time during which they are active, apart from that particular time they remain inactive. There are variety of animals that live in this region ranging from amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and reptiles.