The Magic of Tucson

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is located about 15 miles west of Tucson. One of the first naturalistic zoos in the nation, it also has features of a museum and botanical garden. The Desert Museum focuses on the plant and animal life of the Sonoran desert and is one of the most visited attractions in Tucson. Below are a few of the animals that you might see on a trip there.

1 A Desert Bighorn Ewe stands at attention in her enclosure at The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum outside of Tucson, AZ.

2 A coyote rests in the sun behind nearly invisible fencing that brings you face-to-face with several animal species at The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum outside of Tucson, AZ.

3 The cactus wren, seen here on a prickly pear cactus, is Arizona’s State Bird.

4 A Desert Iguana peeks out from the top of an artificial rock enclosure at The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum outside of Tucson, AZ.

5 Relatives of the Ring-tail Cat (Arizona’s State Mammal) and the Raccoon, the Coati Mundi lives in riparian areas and forages on the ground and in the trees, as can be seen by this Coati at The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum outside of Tucson, AZ.

6 One of the smaller cats that lives in the Sonoran Desert, a Margay peeks out from behind some shrubbery in its exhibit at The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum outside of Tucson, AZ.

7 A Black-tailed Prairie Dog pokes its head up out of its burrow at The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum outside of Tucson, AZ.

8 An Ocelot lounges in the sun at The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum outside of Tucson, AZ.