WONDERS OF THE

PLANTS & WILDLIFE

IN GRAND CANYON

NATIONAL PARK

SOUTHWEST

AN ECOSYSTEM TEEMING WITH LIFE

One of the planet’s most

spectacular sights, Grand

Canyon National Park is a feast

for the eyes and hosts a

wonderful diversity of flora

(plants) and fauna (animals).

Grand Canyon National Park is

home to:

• 129 different plant

communities

• Nearly 150 mammal

species

We’ll take a look at some of the

fascinating plants and animals

that call this area home.

COYOTE (CANIS LATRANS)

The coyote has been known for centuries by

many Native American groups as “the trickster”

for its cleverness and sneaky antics.

Highly social animals, coyotes are known for

their raucous chorus of yips, yelps and howls,

often heard at dusk.

Turn your head away for just a moment and you

might miss these wandering creatures– coyotes

can run up to 40 miles per hour.

Interesting Fact: To avoid being detected by

predators like bears and wolves, coyotes will

sometimes “tiptoe” to make as little noise as

possible.

YUCCA (HESPEROYUCCA WHIPPLEI)

Yucca whipplei is a desert plant with a distinctive cluster of white flowers that sprouts up through the center of the plant.

The plant’s leaves are pointed with sharp ends; the flower cluster blooms only after the plant is 5+ years old, after which point the plant usually dies.

Interesting fact: Yucca whipplei was used extensively by the Native Americans. Fiber from the leaves was used to make sandals and rope, and the flowers, seeds, and fruits were prepared and eaten.

California condors are considered one of the rarest birds in the world, and they were once extinct in the wild.

In recent years they have been successfully reintroduced into Utah and Arizona, including Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks.

Interesting facts: Condors have the largest wingspan of any bird, up to 9.5 feet and can weigh up to 23 pounds. Unlike many other bird species, males and females are identical in size and plumage.

CALIFORNIA CONDOR (GYMNOGYPS CALIFORNIANUS)

DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP (OVIS CANADENSIS NELSONI)

Unmistakable for their large,

curved horns (males only),

bighorn sheep are also known

for their impressive ability to

scale steep mountain cliffs.

During mating season male

bighorns (rams) engage in

fierce head-butting battles to

win over the females.

Interesting fact: Double-

layered skulls allow male

bighorns to take blows to the

head of 400 pounds per

square inch.

DESERT OCOTILLO (F. SPLENDENS)

Ocotillo is a distinctive-

looking desert plant that

blooms spectacular

clusters of red flowers in

spring and summer.

Native Americans have

traditionally used

different parts of the

ocotillo plant to relieve

fatigue, stop bleeding

over fresh wounds, and

to alleviate varicose

veins, urinary tract

infections, and coughing.

Interesting fact:

Ocotillo flowers are

sometimes used in

flowers and herbal teas.

BANDED GILA

MONSTER (H. S. CINCTUM)

Although banded gila

monsters are venomous,

they are slow moving and

are rarely defensive unless

harassed or threatened.

Gila monsters are 9-14

inches long from snout to

tail and eat insects, small

mammals, reptiles and

their eggs, bird eggs and

nestlings, especially of

ground-nesters like quail.

Interesting facts: Gila

monsters are the only

venomous lizard in the

United States. They can

survive on just 3-4 meals

per year and store fat in

their tails for later use.

Mountain quail are large ground-

nesting birds with a distinctive

long plume on top of their heads.

Unlike many other bird and

mammal species, mountain quail

chicks are well-developed and

mobile right after birth, allowing

them to leave the nest and

explore and forage.

Interesting fact: Mountain quail

are the only member of the quail

family to migrate seasonally,

going downslope during the

winter months.

MOUNTAIN QUAIL (OREORTYX PICTUS)

MANY WAYS TO

SEE THE SIGHTS

Grand Canyon National

Park can be explored in

several different ways,

including:

• Aerially, as with a

Grand Canyon

helicopter tour

• On foot

• By raft

• On a bus tour

All of these modes offer

different benefits and

views of the spectacular

canyon and surrounding

desert and mountain

environments.

Since 1965 Papillon has been the world's oldest and largest sightseeing

company, flying an estimated 600,000 passengers a year on its daily tours to

the Grand Canyon. With over forty unique excursions featuring spectacular

sights of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Monument Valley, Page/Lake Powell,

and unforgettable views of the Grand Canyon, Papillon is proud to offer guests

an unparalleled perspective of one of the world's greatest natural wonders.

Visit www.papillon.com for tour information or call (888) 635-7272.