The Giant Sagurao Cactus of the Sonora Desert

The Sonora desert of America is best known in the globe for Saguaro cactus (Cereus Giganteus) which is 1 of the biggest specie of cactus on earth. Though its geographical region is not also massive yet it is grown in abundance like a thick forest in its variety. It can be frequently observed in the Arizona Upland subdivision of the Sonoran Desert, about Tucson and Phoenix. The rainy climate of this location truly supports for its enormous growth as it wants large quantity of water. Saguaro cactus is the most prominent plant due to its distinctive shape and massive size but this region is also center of dense plantation due to fair rainfall. Most of the Saguaro cactus trees are surrounded by other desert trees and shrubs.

Saguaro Cacti, Image from www.pixhd.net

Saguaro cactus can develop up to 12 meters in height and its approximate is age is much more than 200 years. A young Saguaro cactus grows extremely slowly and they are protected by the ‘nurse plants’ from animal and severe solar effects. In reality their shadows operate like shelter and generate a humid and moisture absorbent atmosphere for their development.

The trunk surface of Saguaro cactus consists of a protective layer of succulent and an obtrusive hairy skin which shop water.  There also huge thrones on the branches of the trunk that arise from each and every areole. In the flowery season bell shaped flowers are bloomed obtaining practically ten Cm width. They attract birds and bees towards themselves and after pollination the succulent fruit is made containing of juicy pulp and numerous black seeds. The birds are the major supply for the dispersal of these seeds on the supporting plants. The bees also play quite crucial function in depositing of the seeds who check out due to the scent and copious nectar of Saguaro cactus flowers.

Saguaro cactus is housing scheme of a lot of birds and animals. Gila woodpecker and gilded flicker are specially recognized with Saguaro cactus that creates nesting holes in their stems. The hawks also make their large nests on the branches of Saguaro cactus. The Saguaro cactus ideally grows in moist circumstances and commercially grown in a lot of nurseries by generating artificial cacti atmosphere. The Saguaro cactus is usually threatened with climate effects like wind, fire by lightning, freezing in winter and storms.

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Giant Anteater : A strange creature

A strange creature from the genus Myrmecophaga is identified in South American continent specifically in Latin American countries and in Brazil and Argentine. This is the Giant Anteater whose fossils are discovered by the biologists from Mexico that is the evidence for its existence since thousands of years in our lovely planet. The Giant Anteater is a  solitary animal which loves to live in many types of habitats specially which are ideally dense with the rain forests.

The Giant Anteater. Photo © Stuart Robertson Reynolds

The typical size of the Giant Anteater is six to seven feet in length and it can weigh up to 60 to 100 pounds. The Giant Anteater has a very lengthy nose and a extremely narrow head with round eyes and ears. The diet program of the Giant Anteater comprises of insects, particularly ants and termites which it sniffs by means of its lengthy nose and it can consume almost 30,000 ants or termites per day.  The Giant Anteater uses its potent claws to dig the anthills and termite mounds after discovering them. One more prominent feature of the Giant Anteater is their 2 feet extended tongue which also discharges sticky saliva to attract the ants and it also helps the Giant Anteater to cling the eggs of the ants with the tongue. The Giant Anteaters also really like to consume the ripe fruits if they locate. The Giant Anteater also possesses a quite powerful digestion capability to crush the large quantity of insects inside the stomach.

The infant giant anteater with the mother. Photo © John White

The gestation period in the female Giant Anteater is for practically 6 moths and she offers birth to one baby Anteater. The young Anteater rides on its mother’s back for almost a single year and wanders with the mother up to two years. The IUCN have declared the status of the Giant Anteater, a strange creature  as “threatened”.

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