The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-01-24
ARMED ANIMALS AND
PLANTS OF the DESERT
Protected by Natures Weapons
OF Defense, and With Power
to Overcome Thirst.
From The Los Angeles Times.

AApAa N'S
Almost all life on the desert goes
armed. In the vegetation world or inc
desert the cactus comes first Win ltS
~nu.nberless species. They are all armed
With long or short tough spinss that
can penetrate the thiGkest boot. Ihe
solitary ana often grotesaue Joshua
or Yucca. the mesquite, the catsclaW
and numberless shrubs whose names
have not been written, all arc armed IN
one way or another. Some eHude pol
sonous sap, others nauseating odors.
The sagebrush is about the only ono
that does not seem to have amy pro-
lection.
In the animal kingdom most are eth
or armed with sharp teeth, spines.
odors or poison to serve 10 keep their
ncmies at a distance. while others de-
pend upon their fleetness or artful
skulking and hiding.
s,er. the horned toad. the sidewinder
with his two horns and deadly fangs,
and it's cousim, the desert raltiesnake;
the %tarantula, scorpion and desert pee,
each of whose sting is exceedingly pain
full and sometimes fatal, are among tho
deserts aenizens. Then there are many
varieties OF lizards. large and small
and many colors. who protect 'hein-
selves ry their speed lone. The proWl-
ing coyote, bobcat, mountain hon, Jack
rabbit, c%ottontail. mountain sheep. ibex.
antalope and an occasional deer are
there.
Among tine Slll.tliSi iiIia wv lh0
,,onher. at, trade rnt, hydro
1hohia skunk. ground squirrel and in
n,,nsprable mice. But the traveller sell
dom, secs any Of these. The Drospector,
bowayer. soon become acquainted with
thcn1. The first. or at the latest, Sec
ond night of his stay In amy one camp,
he will be visited by n trade rate. who
will carry away All that portion OF his
outfit that is not too heavy tor his
ratship to handle and ~rcligiousiys Rsa~e.
.,,,,a stick or stODG in it's place.
A ~hydrophobia skunk Will be apt to
can and lunch from any bacon rinds
that may he lying about, not disdnlnlns
a MIN al Mr.. pr0spector'S nose il the Op-
nor1l,nitv offers. 1t is said and firmly
believed by the SONS of the desert that
the bite of this little skunk produces
h~ydrpnhobia. The CHA monster is sell
dom seen, and the writer after haV-
in,r snent nearly n year Oh the borders
of Death Valley has not yet seen one
of Them at large. '2@ttleslaakcs are also
scarce. except in some favorable To-
cality.
gradually becoming tame, and this
summer they nave come TO springs
where miners We're c'alnped as regularly
:ls domestic stock and With little more
timidity. The mountain quail follows
the miner and his burIo. I'm the Ava
watZ mountains they were unknown
until this year, but they are abundant
there now. 1t is AN u1wrstten law
among lfG InlIleIS VI Viz uCfSi tii'l IN,
game animals on birds shall be killed
OF in any wa: disturbed unless one Is
in actual want. and he must make
proof convincing Of that fact If he kills
n quail OF sheep.
An life OH tho desert lives by itt
power to resist thirst. All desert plants
are so constructed THAI they are able
TO conserve and store UP moisture
against the time Of drought. This nee.
essity has wrought peculiar forms OF
both animals and plants, and I'm time
IL also leaves it's indelible mark upor
men who dwell amid its wastes. The
leave OF ali desert trees arc small and
thick. so they expose as little surface
as possible for evaporation in the dry
air. The great and ever present cvi
delce of the struggle for water is no
ticeable everywhere where men com
together on the desert. In this struggle
all who come to the desert must en-
gage instantly. Every wagon mus
have it's water barrels, every hurro hi,
water bags, each man his canteen.