Desert Wildlife, Continental Divide

The desert landscapes of New Mexico are breathtakingly beautiful but also austere, harsh, and hostile to life.  Even so, a great range of creatures call this baking wilderness their home, making the desert an unlikely hotspot of biodiversity.

Javelinas are one of the more common species seen on a hike across the continental divide.  These large animals resemble wild pigs, with their porcine snouts, squat bodies and short legs, but actually, the two animals are only distantly related.  Javelinas are highly social animals living in groups of about 10, and you’re likely to smell them before seeing them, as they use pungent scent glands to keep track of their family members as they roam the desert.

Then there are coyotes, small canine predators.  Coyotes are famous in the Americas for their call and their elusive nature means that you are more likely to hear their haunting howls than come face-to-face with them on the trail.

Finally, birdlife in the New Mexico desert is also rich and varied.  Huge turkey vultures and red-tailed hawks can often be seen riding the thermals along the trail.

Roadrunners are also commonly spotted evading wily coyotes, and, if you look carefully, you might even see the tiny (and burrowing owl, a ground-dwelling species of owl that lives in burrows it digs to hide in and use as larders during times of plenty.