The Saguaro is the iconic symbol of the Sonoran Desert and the largest cactus in the United States, sometimes reaching 50 feet tall and weighing over 6 tons, most of which is stored water. A saguaro may not produce its first arm until it is 75 years old. The large, waxy white flowers open at night and must be pollinated by lesser long-nosed bats before closing the following afternoon. The Saguaro provides nest cavities used by elf owls, Gila woodpeckers, and over a dozen other bird species.
Habitat
Rocky slopes, bajadas, and valley floors of the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.
Diet
Flowers pollinated by lesser long-nosed bats and white-winged doves; fruits eaten by javelinas, coyotes, many birds, and were a staple food for the Tohono O'odham people.
How common
Uncommon
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