History Ch 6 Flashcards
Flora
referring to the plants of a specific region
Fauna
referring to the animals of a specific region
Continental Divide
a stretch of high land that divides the rivers of a continent
Great Divide
the name given to the continental divide in North America
Cordilleras
a system of mountain ranges which reaches from the Arctic Circle to
the southern tip of South America. The longest mountain chain in the world
The Rockies
also known as the Rocky Mts. are sometimes called the “Backbone
of North America”.
Mt. Elbert
the highest peak in the Rockies
Yellowstone National Park
oldest national park in the world
Old Faithful
most famous geyser in Yellowstone National Park.
Mammoth Hot Springs
most famous hot springs in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone Lake
the largest high-altitude lake in North America
Mountain lion
The animal that is the second largest cat in the Western
Hemisphere; sometimes called a puma, cougar, or panther
Grizzly Bear
the bear considered to probably be the most dangerous animal in
North America.
Bighorn Sheep
the wild sheep of North America
Mountain Goats
their hooves have suction like cups allowing them to climb almost
straight up a cliff without danger
American Pika
closely related to hares; stores up food during the winter time;
called the “fat little farmer of the mountain slopes
Water Ouzel
called the dipper, usually makes its nest behind a waterfall
North American Desert
Great Basin Desert, Colorado Plateau, Mojave Desert,
Sonoran Desert, Chihuahuan Desert
Great Basin Desert
the largest desert area in the United States
Bristlecone Pine
the long-living tree found in the Great Basin Desert
Grand Canyon
World’s largest canyon
Carlsbad Caverns
the world’s most spectacular limestone caverns
Columbia Plateau-
the largest lava plateau in the world
Hells Canyon
the deepest canyon in the United States
Sagebrush
a bush plant with a sweet smell and bitter taste.
Great Salt Lake
the largest saltwater lake in North America and the largest natural lake
west of the Mississippi River
Great Salt Lake Desert
near the Great Salt Lake with salt beds that are as hard as
cement
Havasupai Native Americans
“people of the blue-green water” that live at the bottom of
the Grand Canyon
Painted Desert
made of sandstone colored in beautiful hues;Navajo and Hopi Native
Americans live in the Painted Desert and use the brightly colored sands to make their
famous sand painting.
Petrified Forest National Park
fossilized tree trunks; the largest and most colorful in the
world
Death Valley
the hottest and driest part of North America; located in the Mojave Desert
Mt. Whitney
the highest point in the United States outside Alaska
Sagebrush Cactus
the largest cactus in the world
Big Room
the largest underground chamber in North America located in Carlsbad
Caverns
Chihuahuan Desert
known for the huge dunes of dazzling white sands made
mostly entirely of gypsum
Prickly Pear
the most widespread species of cactus
Cacti
Cactus are native to the Western Hemisphere
Barrel Cacti
are a barrel shaped cactus that can be up to 10 feet tall and 4 feet across
Gila Monster
the poisonous lizard found in the desert of North America
California Condor
the largest land bird in North America
Desert tortoise
stores water in a sac inside its upper shell
Chuckwalla
a harmless lizard that can be up to a foot and a half long
Horned toad
it is really a lizard, it is harmless but looks fierce. It looks similar to the
bearded dragon
Kangaroo Rat
able to survive on an extremely small amount of water because of
its very efficient kidney and cooling system
Pocket mouse
thumb sized burrower
Pack rat
collects objects and hides them in its nest; can run around thorny cacti
without harm
Bats
live in caves in or near the desert
Jack rabbits and antelope jackrabbit-
can bound at 35 mph to escape predators;
uses its ears as a cooling system
Coyotes
keep down the rodent population
Spotted skunk
hunts small nocturnal animals
Bobcats
look like large house cats with stubby tails; live in the mountains, plains, and
the desert
Ringtail cacomistles
member of the raccoon family; can be tamed as pets to catch mice
Collared peccary
pig like animal that looks for cactus roots to eat
Kit fox
smaller than most foxes; roams the desert
Road Runner
runs fast across the desert at 15 mph; stays all year in the desert and
does not migrate
